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byuljoonie · 8 months

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moonlight // knj

I’m sorry baby I’m just really hot…

pairing: namjoon x reader

genre: one shot, slight angst, fluff, growing tension, boyfriend material, extreme smut, desperation, succubus intentions…

word count: 5k+ (sorry)

warnings: mentions of mature topics, spit, namjoon driving lmao, thigh humping bcs desperate, throat goat, dom!sub, dom rm!sub reader, alcohol consumption, probably a good amount of swearing, post-gym namjoon, grocery store activities, slight car play, teasing, oral, summer night, riding, overstimulation, a little masochism

summary: namjoon promised to go to the grocery store with you after the gym (extended ending on ao3)

note: just had what cody ko and noel would call a “power thought.” I literally just had a spark of inspiration bcs it’s really hot in the south right now and Namjoon’s vogue cover is to die for. enjoy and feel free to check out any of my playlists while reading. Sorry for any little mistakes. gonna make a tag list after I post 10 works! -ash (wrote this draft a few months ago so it might be slightly more extreme than expected.)

My reflection stared back at me, tracing the movement of the cloth against my skin. The long slit of the black fabric starts by the left knee and leaves an opening at the bottom of the dress. My manicured feet sat firmly against the hardwood bedroom floor, grounding me away from my persistent thoughts. I grabbed my sunglasses from the stand mounted on the cream walls and turned swiftly on my heels. Abandoning the mirror with a grimace on my face.

I loved this dress very much, the long sleeves light and airy protecting me from the harsh summer rays. The way it hugs my figure is like someone familiar. The same someone that bought this dress for me. He crossed my mind once more sending another surge of anger through me.

Namjoon promised to come along to the grocery store with me today but he’s been at the gym for almost 2 hours now. He said he’d only be gone an hour but an hour quickly turned to two, now I’m dressed and past ready to go. I hated going to crowded stores, at this rate we’ll never beat the after-work rush.

I sat on the bed putting on my anklet he gifted me for our 3 year anniversary. Yet another gift that I’m wearing today, being spoiled ruining my plans of holding a grudge tonight on our date. I slipped on some black socks and made my way towards the door. Listening as the front door swings open with a beep of the automatic keypad.

I excitedly descend the stairs, my black dress sweeping the floor behind me beautifully like a wedding gown flowing in the summer breeze. The second step I’ve already failed at trying to be mad at him.

“Baby! Where you at?” He says deep voice roaring through our apartment. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs almost running into his chest. He smiled at me taking in all of my body, returning to my eyes after his brief but thorough inspection.

“Right here NAMjoon,” I stated putting extra emphasis on his surname. I watched as his chest rose and fell with every breath, his skin glistened with sweat. Tan skin accentuating his muscular frame, my mouth parted slightly at the sight. He looked heavenly I almost lost my composure.

“I’m sorry I took so long Y/N my trainer wouldn’t let me leave until the workout was complete,” he said walking towards me. Smirking at the way my eyes followed his every movement.

“You look so gorgeous Princess, this dress is perfect for you,” he said pulling me into a tight embrace. Grabbing a handful of my ass as he reached over to rest his chin on my shoulder. I yelp in surprise at the sudden groping, melting into his body and giving up on being angry. I wanted to take him right now but first, we need food or we’ll be eating out for another week before we have time to shop again.

“Whatever Joon go shower we have to leave as soon as possible and you’re stinky,” I said pulling away from him and then standing on my tippy toes to kiss him quickly. He kissed me back beginning to deepen it before I push him away again. I give him a knowing look and bid him goodbye as I walk to the kitchen to make him a snack to eat in the car. The store was about a 25 minute drive from us but it was worth it for the produce.

I grab a few ingredients from the fridge to make him a nice sandwich with an everything bagel. I prepared everything quickly and put it in a small ziplock bag next to my purse. I heard Namjoon exiting our bedroom 15 minutes later, humming a sweet tune in his beautiful vibrato.

“Come on babe I already have the car warming up,” he said grabbing my hand and lightly pulling me next to him. He’s wearing a light brown shirt with a pair of distressed blue jeans. Looking as handsome as always I drink in his appearance for eternity. We walked to the elevator quietly, Namjoon tapping away on his phone until the elevator doors opened to be let us out.

As we walk towards our car I begin to sweat a little, the setting Sun still scorching my skin like its’ noonday twin. I started to speed up a little pulling Namjoon along so I could feel the relief of the A/C sooner than later. He swung the door open for me making sure my dress wasn’t in the way before shutting the door.

Namjoon jumps in quickly closing the door before the heat could penetrate the closed air. It still wasn’t cool enough in here, with the sun beaming directly on our vehicle the A/C felt like lukewarm hell. I let down the window hastily fanning myself as we pulled out of the parking lot.

After I few minutes of fanning and desperation, I looked over and behold a sight that would make any woman yearn in an instant. A head of sweat moved swiftly down the expanse of Namjoons golden jaw. Resting at the base before dropping down onto his slightly exposed shoulder. His lips rose colored from his unconscious biting. I wanted to reach over and swallow him whole, I crave him so bad I can’t help but squeeze my legs together at the thought.

I was so caught up in my sinful thoughts I didn’t notice him glance over at me. A twinkle in his eye set off the indication of a torturous idea. Namjoon placed his large hand on my thigh, causing me to tense up instantly. Before I could utter a word he reached over my leg and grabbed his sandwich from my lap.

His smile turning into a stifled laugh as he continued to stare straight ahead. I must have let out the small noise I was holding in because he seemed to know exactly what would tick me off right now. I turned my attention towards the windshield trying to focus on the passing cars and people watching. Then an idea popped into my head.

I pull out my phone and open the group chat I have with our 6 best friends. I stop and think of what to type before another brilliant idea is brought to me. I pose provocatively making sure my cleavage was “present,” in my photo. I took a couple of pictures, some with sunglasses and some staring at Namjoon. He patiently drove, oblivious to my sly intentions. He hummed along to one of his favorite songs looking over at me to shoot me a wink.

I giggled and looked away almost feeling bad for what I’m going to do. Yet not bad enough because I went ahead and sent the photos with a message. “Should I post these on my close friends? I don’t know if I look good enough today…” I said ending with a sad face. It didn’t take long for our phones to simultaneously vibrate. Secretly glancing over at Namjoon, I unlock my phone knowing he can’t check his until we’re in the lot.

Hobi ddaeng: You look great !! Of course, you should post it, Namjoon talk some sense into her.

Me: He’s driving right now. I didn’t ask for his opinion yet I want to hear you guys first :)

Park Chanel: ooooh…I see…

Park Chanel: If you don’t post the pictures I will! Wow wow you look beautiful. Nice..dress and necklace.

I looked down at my neck realizing I didn’t wear a necklace today. Oh Jimin you’re evil Namjoon is going to kill me and you. I laughed a little at his crude behavior and read the next incoming message.

Yoongi: You’re gonna get hit Jimin *laughing emojis*

Me: mmm just because you guys said so I will post it hehe

Before I could read the next response I felt the car shake as we pulled into the grocery store parking lot. I quickly went on my sns and posted two of the pictures on my close friends. Picking the two the boys liked the most. I was starting to get nervous, I know how possessive he is with me and I’m the same but I want revenge for making me frustrated.

Namjoon pulls into an open parking spot almost near the front of the bustling building. I take off my seatbelt with a click grabbing my purse from my lap and swinging the door open. I wanted to beat Namjoon inside before he could read the texts and catch me. As I hurriedly closed the door I saw him reading the messages, jaw tensing with rage.

I hear him call my name from the car and a slam of a car door followed behind the sound of his sexy voice. His long legs easily closing the space between us as he grabbed my hand, squeezing it while looking at me. I put my shades on ignoring his questions. Stroking the back of his hand as I never break eye contact with the automatic sliding doors.

“Can you get us a cart pet?” I froze at the nickname. He knows what he’s doing, and I don’t plan on breaking that fast. I let go of his hand briefly going to grab the first cart I saw. Cleaning the handle before strutting back over to my boyfriend as he eyed me intensely.

I let him grab the cart from me but not before pulling him down to whisper in his ear. “Anything for you Daddy..” I say in a hushed tone. Making sure to leave a kiss on his sensitive earlobe as I pull away.

I walk forward trying not to laugh at the silly nickname I used to get him riled up. He trailed behind me, failing to hide his blatant staring at my ass. We make our way down the aisles trying to speed up the process as people begin piling into the store.

“Joonie baby I can’t reach this,” I said struggling to reach the box of goldfish on the top shelf. He moved over to me in a flash, pressing his front flush against my back. I heard his breathing stop as I purposely pushed my ass against him.

“This one, this one, this one, or this one…” He trailed off purposely picking the wrong boxes to tease me. He finally grabbed the correct item and tossed it in the cart. Walking away as if he didn’t leave me speechless and flustered on the cracker aisle.

I follow him to the snack aisle after grabbing a few bottles of wine and champagne for our date tonight. The empty aisle presents another opportunity for me to assert my dominance. I walk over to the chips looking at them inquisitively as if I’m mocking a character.

“Honey do you want this kind or this kind?” I said while bending over. Making sure to sway slowly as I wait for an answer. “Babe? Which-“ I was cut short as a hand firmly grabbed my ass causing me to yelp in surprise and sit up straight.

“I want this one right here,” he growled in my ear. I turned around and looked at him, watching his eyes darken with hunger. “Let’s get outta here yeah?” He questioned looking into my eyes. I nodded furiously ready to exit this hell and get home to what’s waiting.

We race to the self-checkout line, scanning and bagging groceries like a 5000-dollar prize is awaiting the winner. Namjoon grabbed my hand after he paid and pulled me along with him as he pushed the basket with his other hand. He was so warm, skin clear and kissable. I wanted to pull him aside and cover him in kisses, not caring about the people around us.

Namjoon unlocks the car as we stop beside it. I move to walk around the cart but he stops me in my tracks. “Let me help you get the groceries in the car love,” I say looking confused at his sudden maneuver.

Unexpectedly, he opened the car door and motioned for me to get inside. I insisted again that I help but he gave me a look that I know better than to disobey. I got inside praying I didn’t anger him too much. I set myself up for this one, didn’t I? It’ll be worth it in the end right? Maybe I went a little too far with the texts but I can’t help but shiver with anticipation. I pull out my phone to text Jimin about my bad decisions.

Me: I think I fucked up lol

Park Chanel: you’re welcome ;)

Namjoon slams the trunk shut causing me to jump in surprise. I close my phone sitting it in the cup holder beside me. He gets in the car, jaw still tense as he turns the key in the ignition. I thought about breaking the silence but the tension was so thick a knife would recoil at the slight pressure of penetration. Namjoon puts on his seatbelt then proceeds to look at me.

“ I don’t want to hear another peep from you Y/N..” he starts lowly not breaking eye contact for a second. “You’ve done enough for tonight, if you do anything stupid I swear I will pull the car over and take you on the side of the road. I promise you wouldn’t want that.” He deadpans and looks away from me, pulling out of the parking spot. I utter a soft okay and prepare to behave the rest of the way home.

I slide my palm over to his free hand resting on his thigh. I stare firmly at him, giving my best puppy eyes in return. He doesn’t look away from the road but I watch as his lip twitches into a small smile. He grabs my hand, rubbing his large thumb over the back of my hand. In love can’t begin to describe how I truly feel about this man.

I laugh as he tries to sing along to Smoke Sprite, raspy voice blending well with Soyoon. I rap along to his part of the song, stealing the spotlight and making him bop his head in excitement. The song finishes and we’re about 10 minutes from our place. I check my phone and see a text from our group chat, making the recent grocery store escapades flash through my mind. I want him to touch me again, I like it when he’s desperate and needy for me.

Another terrible idea floods my brain accompanied by a mound of outcomes. I suddenly let go of Namjoons hand causing him to spare me a confused expression. A smile graced my face as I turned my body forward, grabbing the slit of my dress and opening it over my legs. I let my left hand run down the front of my dress, stopping at my panties hesitating even.

I slide my hand under the fabric immediately coming in contact with the soft skin. I dip my fingers and get to work. I began letting out dramatized moans and grunts. I moan Namjoon's name and furiously let my hand lose control. I looked over and saw Namjoon gripping the steering wheel in frustration. Sweat adorned his angelic face, veins prominent in his hands. I let this go on until we reached the last stop light near our apartment building. I sat up and closed my legs acting like I didn’t just masturbate next to my boyfriend in a moving car.

We pull into the lot entering our designated spot. Namjoon quietly turned off the engine and released a sigh that he seemed to have been holding in. He looks absolutely pissed and it’s so sexy. His erratic breathing only made me wetter by the second.

“You’re going to follow my instructions carefully. I don’t want to hear a word from you or tonight will be your worst fucking nightmare got it?” He questioned angrily letting his eyes trail over my body once more. I nodded too scared to move an inch more.

“Go upstairs, get undressed, wait in the middle of the bed. If you’re not in that spot when I come up there in 15 minutes, you better pray you can stop time.” He seethes hotly. “Yes sir,” I say scared and ready for more. He gets out of the car walks around and opens my door. He grabs my purse from my lap holding eye contact, his brown almond eyes dark and predatory.

“Go.” He states motioning for me to exit the vehicle. I get out swiftly, grabbing my purse from his hand and sprinting towards the entrance of the building. The elevator took an eternity to bring me to our floor. I ran to the door and shakily put in the passcode, messing up a few times before it finally let me in.

My shoes are off in a flash, I leave my purse by the door as well abandoning my shades on the counter as I run past to the stairs. I burst into our room, slipping my dress off. Almost fell as I grabbed my silk lavender robe hanging on the wall. I threw it on and climbed onto the bed. My anklet glowed in the natural light seeping through the parted curtains. The front door swung open slamming against the wall.

I heard shuffling, cabinets opening and closing for 10 more minutes before his heavy footsteps echoed through our hallway. He walked into the room eyeing me before raising an eyebrow. I started to sweat nervously hoping I did what I was told.

“Who told you to put on your robe Y/N?” He questioned in amusement. He slowly walked over to me, grabbing each side of the robe and ripping it open. He discarded it onto the floor and stalked around the bed, he stood at the front motionless. “On your knees in front of me, now.” He said and I immediately left the bed. I swung my legs over the side and dropped to my knees.

Namjoon watched me through lidded eyes as I crawled over to him on my knees, stopping directly in front of his growing bulge. I was quick to unlatch the hook of his buckle, the metal of the belt clinging as it hit the hardwood floors.

“I’ll excuse the robe mishap since you’re so eager to taste me doll face,” he said reaching down to grab my chin. A loud moan echoed through the room as he grabbed my hair and yanked my head back. He looked down at me, motioning his head back as if telling me to open up. I did as I was told and watched as he spit in my mouth and closed it back. He pulled his pants down and kicked them to the side.

“Good girl, now eat.” He said intensely. He hummed in satisfaction, eyes never leaving the way I wrapped my fingers around his cock and finally engulfed his length into the warmth of my mouth. I took him in slowly inch by inch, his girth heavy against my tongue as I extended my jaw wider and wider. I choked a little as he hit the back of my throat.

“You look so fucking gorgeous with your lips wrapped around me, pet,” his fingers tightened into my hair, his gaze stoic and heavy on me. Pet. The pet name earned a moan from me as I began a steady rhythm of sucking. My fingers were coated in a thick layer of saliva, Namjoon’s cock easily sliding against my pressured grip as my cheeks hollowed, jaw growing sore from my strenuous movements.

He groaned loudly, fucking my throat faster until I could no longer take it. I let my jaw go slack so he could use me as his personal toy. He grabbed my face and fucked it harder until I was seeing stars. A beautiful repetition of my name strung from his tongue, stilling as he came into my mouth. I happily swallowed every drop, coughing around his cock one last time, sending a shiver through his body.

“Good job, get on the bed I want to taste you. I can see you dripping on the floor,” he smirks as he picks me up and helps me onto the bed. He walks around and gets in the middle of the bed, watching me as I sit patiently waiting for instructions.

“Come here baby, sit on my face,” he motioned for me to come to him. I slowly crawled towards him, bracing myself on his lap. He kissed me roughly, tasting himself on my tongue, running his hand down to play with my chest. Nipples sensitive to the touch, he pulls away from me, taking my right breast in his mouth. Sucking and nibbling on me, teasing me. He pulled off with a pop, scooting further down the bed and then lifting me so I could move towards his face.

I place my hands on the headboard hovering over his face in anticipation. He suddenly grabs my thighs and pulls me down onto him. I scream out in pleasure as he dives into my center. Feverishly lapping his tongue at my pussy like it’s the last time he’ll have me. His moans send intense vibrations through my body, making me scream his name. We’ll have a noise complaint tomorrow.

I felt my orgasm coming on, riding his tongue until my legs were sore. He let go of my left thigh to slap my ass hard, signaling me to cum on his tongue. I came with a loud groan of his name. Shaking and twitching as I came down from my high.

Namjoon grabbed my hips, gently guiding me down to his lap. His face was covered in my essence, from nose to chin, he glistened like an Angel. He smiled and rubbed circles on my tummy as he watched me shake.

“Don’t think we’re done darling, I’m not finished until I see my cum dripping down your pretty legs.” He gave me one last smile before his eyes darkened once more. He grabbed my hips and lifted me slightly, sticking his girth fully inside me. I sank slowly, letting him fill me to the brim. Tears streamed down my cheeks loving the painful stretch in my core.

“Ride me until I say stop.” He deadpanned motioning for me to move or else. I started to ride him painfully slow, not being able to take much more. This was my opportunity to finally seize control. I picked up the pace, rhythmic grunts and sounds of skin slapping filled the room. I put my hands on his chest and let my hips do the talking.

I ground down harder, spelling his name with every swift motion of my hips. I felt his cock twitch inside of me, indicating he was close already. Now that I have control I’m going to make him feel everything he did to me. I moved faster, causing the bed to shake and tremble with every shout of his name.

He grabbed my hips trying to make me slow down but I only grind down harder. Clenching and tightening around him to send me him over the edge. I watched as his orgasm roared through him, eyes rolling to the back of his head. I kept moving, milking everything from him. Getting closer to my orgasm, I let myself go with one last yell of his name.

Squeezing my eyes shut as I finally stilled. The sound of heavy breathing filled the room, the bed creaking as I rolled off of him. Shivering as the empty feeling overtakes me when he’s not inside of me. “I hope I didn’t get too carried away,” I started while looking over at my completely wrecked boyfriend.

“That was perfect.” He said smiling over at me. He slowly stood up, going to our bathroom to retrieve a towel. He returned momentarily, cleaning me off and then cleaning himself. Throwing the towel in the hamper against the wall. I was so exhausted I could barely move. I got under our giant duvet, getting comfortable fairly quickly.

Namjoon glanced at me, nestled under the warm blankets, my eyes getting heavy with exhaustion. He promised me a special date night and he was determined to make it happen, even if he just put me to sleep. With a gentle smile, his aftercare continued.

“Hey, babe,” he whispered softly, brushing a strand of loose hair from my face. “I know you’re tired but I don’t want our date night to go to waste.”

I yawned in response and mumbled sleepily, “Joonie I’m so comfy right here.” Earning a chuckle from him, my reluctance seeped through the atmosphere. “I know, but trust me, you won’t regret it. I’ve got something in the living room set up for us.”

That caused me to sit up, curiosity overcoming my fatigue. “Oh? What is it?” I said carefully. “It’s a surprise, but I promise it’ll be worth it.” He said leaning in to plant a kiss on my forehead.

With his gentle encouragement, I reluctantly pushed the covers aside and allowed Namjoon to help me out of bed. He passed me the discarded robe and my slippers, and together we made our way to the living room.

Where soft candlelight flickered with a movie on the screen waiting to be played. As I settled onto the couch I couldn’t help but smile at the effort Namjoon had put into creating this romantic haven. A charcuterie board with our favorite snacks and 2 bottles of the wine we purchased earlier were on the coffee table.

Namjoon plopped down beside me, taking my hand in his. “See princess? Our date night in the living room isn’t so bad, is it?” He said grinning like he won the lottery. My fatigue began to dissipate as I basked in the warmth of Namjoon's love and effort. “Not bad at all,” I said, feeling grateful for his consistency and thoughtfulness.

“Let’s start the movie I’m so excited!�� I exclaimed pumping my fist in the air embarrassingly hard. Namjoon laughed and mimicked me, making me laugh even harder than before. The first half of the movie went by as we stuffed our faces with food and downed wine like it was our last supper. I was starting to feel tipsy and before I knew it my thoughts started wandering again.

“Mmm, these snacks are-“ Namjoon started as he reached for the charcuterie board. I interrupted his thought by grabbing his hand. Namjoon looked at me puzzled, “huh?” He says in surprise. I move closer and settle onto his lap. “I want to be closer to you,” I said, hands resting on his toned chest.

Namjoon blinked at me, a tipsy smile forming on his lips, “Well I can’t argue with that pet.” I look into his eyes exploring the galaxies I can reach within them. “You know, I love nights like these, just you and me, a movie, some wine…” I rambled to him.

“Yeah, me too. It’s moments like this when I realize how lucky I am to have you in my life baby.” He said while lost in my eyes. Searching for something, something that he knows I have. I leaned in slowly, our lips almost touching, “I love you Namjoon.” I kissed him before he could respond. Feeling his emotions spill into our kiss. He pulled us apart gently, rubbing his hand on my cheek. “I love you too Y/N.”

He grabbed my face and captured my lips again. A thief that could do no wrong in my eyes, I deepened the kiss craving more of him. Needing to feel something more. I slowly began moving my hips on his thigh, grinding down onto the exposed skin, earning a guttural groan from his throat.

His hands moved down the side of my body, exploring every curve, touching every mark he left on me this evening. He landed on my hips, guiding me to my last orgasm with his strong hands. The air was hot once more, soft moans and sweet nothings penetrated the quiet.

The movie is long forgotten, the candlelight coating the walls in a beautiful golden glow. I felt my orgasm building quickly, still sensitive from the earlier assault on my clit. Namjoon began bouncing his leg, adding more pressure on my center, and sending me over the edge.

I kiss him one last time before I fall fast asleep on him.

The end.

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yelena-bellova · 10 months

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Heartfirst: A Ted Lasso Story - Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven: Movin’ On Up

Plot: Y/n receives some surprise visitors on moving day, and Richmond suffers a shocking blow to their lineup.

Word Count: 5.9k

Warnings: f!reader, language, (16+)

A/N: I really don’t know how I’m managing to crank these out so fast. Maybe shorter chapters? Anyway, this one was fun. We’re getting into the meat of the story, so hold onto your butts, and enjoy!!

(Forgive any typos, I wrote the bulk of this one at midnight 🌙)

——————

If there was a magical force at play in Richmond, it had made Y/n its latest target.

Not only had she found the perfect apartment, she’d toured it, signed the lease and booked movers in the same week. In all her post-university years, she’d never seen real estate move quicker.

Y/n wandered the flat, directing the men and whatever piece of furniture they were holding to its corresponding room.

A knock sounded from the stairs.

“Oh, the dresser can go to-“ Y/n spun around to help guide the mover she’d just seen downstairs, only to find the last person she expected.

“Hey, there, neighbor,” Ted greeted, standing at the top of the steps.

Y/n quickly plastered on her Monday-Friday grin, “Ted. What are you…how did you…?”

“Well, you said you were movin’ into your new place this weekend,” Ted hopped a step inside the apartment to let one of the movers pass by, “Took a guess that the van that came through this morning was probably yours.”

Y/n tried to laugh off the intrusion. The safety of living thirty minutes away was long gone…

“Brought you a little ‘welcome to the neighborhood’ gift,” Ted held up a little pink box and set it on Y/n’s kitchen counter. It was the same one that he dropped on Rebecca’s desk each morning.

“Thank you,” Y/n replied while pointing one of the movers in the direction of her bedroom.

Ted stuck his hands in his pockets and took a look around the living room. He let out a whistle, “I wish you’d’ve told us you were movin’ in sooner. Coaches and the boys coulda saved you some money, get you settled ourselves.”

That was exactly why she hadn’t told anyone she was moving until the day before. She knew Ted would have assembled the Greyhounds and she would have had 15+ footballers funneling in and out of her apartment, invading the little bubble she had left.

“Oh, I wasn’t gonna inconvenience you guys,” Y/n replied, watching Ted as he maneuvered around the boxes, “Especially with the match tomorrow.”

Ted made a raspberry, “Pish posh, Oshkosh. Woulda been happy to help. Hey,” Ted swirled a finger toward the ceiling, “This place got A/C?”

Y/n nodded.

“Whew,” Ted exhaled, “I gotta tell you, biggest surprise comin’ over here.”

“You get used to it,” Y/n replied, a deep double meaning to her words.

“What about you? What was the biggest shock for you, movin’ here?”

Y/n thought back to when she was eighteen, fresh out of high school and starting a brand new life in another country. Even if it had only been a few years, it felt like a decade ago.

“I don’t know,” she sighed, “Probably the difference in English. Chips versus fries, that sort of thing.”

“Man, I still slip up,” Ted said, “Took me months to get the football lingo down.”

“I still call the pitch a field sometimes,” Y/n admitted, settling on one of her barstools.

“Well, now I don’t feel so bad,” Ted chuckled as he came to sit across from Y/n, “Hey, what’s the thing you miss most from home? Just a little thing, y’know?”

Y/n sighed, thinking about the region-specific foods she couldn’t find in the international section of the market or the channels missing from her television. Truth be told, there wasn’t anything she missed so much it could be considered missing.

“I don’t know,” she shrugged, “It’s been so long since I’ve been home.”

“When was the last time you went back?” Ted asked.

“Uh…” Y/n traced back the list of holidays, “My sister’s birthday…two years ago?”

Ted whistled once more, “That’s a long time. Bet your folks miss you.”

On cue, Y/n’s muscles tensed. Her smile returned to conceal her discomfort. “My sister visits,” she said, “Every year.”

“Aw, that’s nice,” Ted cooed, “For me, it’s gotta be good barbecue. I mean, don’t get me wrong, they do food dang well over here, but I miss a good southern BBQ, y’know?”

“I actually do,” Y/n admitted with a small laugh, “4th of July’s always weird.”

Ted smacked a hand against the counter. “Thank you,” he said loudly, “Last year, we had a game. Felt like Beard and I were betrayin’ our ancestors or somethin’.”

Y/n chuckled, Ted struck her as someone who went all out for Independence Day.

“Hey, truth time,” Ted continued, the humor draining from his face, “Yea or nay on tea?”

Y/n shrugged, “I like it.”

“Dang it,” Ted bobbed his head, “Beard, you…us ex-pats keep droppin’ like flies.”

“It takes some adjusting, I’ll admit that,” Y/n raised a finger, “Not exactly a frappachino.”

“Mm-mm,” Ted shook his head, “I have tried and tried with that tree piss. Warmth ain’t goin’ anywhere north on that one.”

Y/n snorted a little, imagining what that might look like, Ted sipping on earl grey.

One of the movers asked Y/n where she wanted a bookcase and she gave him directions. For once, Ted sensed the moment.

“Well, I’ll get outta your hair,” he held up his hands and hopped off the barstool, “But I’m just down the street so you ever need anything, don’t be a stranger.”

“Good to know,” Y/n watched Ted walk away, “Ted?”

He stopped at the top of the stairs, “Hmm?”

While Ted was still a lot, after all her years spent as the foreigner, it was almost…nice to talk to someone from home. Someone she didn’t need to explain her references to or rearrange her vocabulary for.

“Thank you,” Y/n said, quickly concealing the truth of her gratitude, “For the biscuits.”

“Anytime,” Ted saluted before heading on his way.

Y/n let out a loud sigh once she was sure he was gone. She wandered back over to the counter and opened the pink box, finding the signature biscuits Rebecca raved about. Out of curiosity, she broke off a bite and ate it.

“Shit,” she mumbled, they were better than anything she’d ever found in any of London’s cafés.

Despite his line-crossing, Ted was good-natured. He had a heart of gold and tried to make sure everyone he encountered felt like they had one too. Y/n could call it tolerance or simply learning to deal with him, but deep down, Ted’s efforts were starting to poke and prod a little harder at her walls.

—————————

That evening, after the movers had finished and Y/n had gotten the basics unpacked, she started on the non-essentials. She was stacking dishes when the doorbell rang.

Y/n was perturbed as she descended her stairs, there were exactly three people who had her new address, the absolute minimum. Lisa, who handled payroll at the club, Ted, who’d stumbled upon her apartment by sheer luck, and her sister.

Looking through the peephole, Y/n sighed. She’d forgotten there was a fourth on the list.

Jamie smiled smugly as Y/n opened the door, “You went with mine.”

Y/n rolled her eyes, “I didn’t ‘go with yours.’ I was the one who found it, you just deemed it worthy.”

“And I was right,” Jamie stuck his neck out and lifted off his heels.

She’d never give him the satisfaction of knowing, but Jamie was completely right. The night of the West Ham match, the two of them had stayed at the Crown and Anchor till Mae kicked them out, pouring over each apartment until they’d eliminated 75% of the stack. The one Y/n had settled on was also the one that Jamie had decided was the best.

Jamie held up a plastic takeaway bag, “Come bearin’ sustenance.”

Not only was Y/n tired, she didn’t want to entertain anybody else from work. But, starving as she was, she was in no position to turn down free food.

“Entry permitted,” she snatched the bag from him, “Barely.”

Jamie took an exaggerated step over the seal and passed Y/n. They’d gotten to know each other better over the last few weeks, Jamie stopping Y/n anytime he saw her to ask about the apartment tours she was taking on the weekends. They’d gotten many laughs out of the stories of Y/n going against Jamie’s advice and visiting the properties that did indeed turn out to be crap.

In another world, they’d almost consider each other friends.

Upstairs, Jamie swung his arms as he took in the living room, “Not bad.”

“‘Not bad?’” Y/n turned around from where she stood in the adjoining kitchen, “You pick this place out and then it’s just ‘not bad?’”

Jamie cackled, spinning on his heel and pointing a finger at Y/n. “That’s an admission.”

Y/n internally cringed, her sharp edge was dulled by exhaustion. She could usually keep up with Jamie. “If you want any of this,” she unpacked the styrofoam container of kebabs, “You’ll stay on my good side.”

“Can’t have any,” Jamie replied, coming to lean on the bar, “Diet, ‘member?”

Y/n shook her head, popping a stray piece of chicken into her mouth. “I still don’t get why you’re doing this.”

“You know why,” Jamie crossed his arms on the counter, “Gotta get back to being the best.”

“Yeah, but is being better than Zava worth missing out on things like food and sleep?” Y/n asked. She could appreciate Jamie’s drive, but this dedication seemed overboard.

“It’ll be worth it,” Jamie stated.

Y/n decided to play the asshole, sliding across the kitchen to wave the kebab box under Jamie’s nose. She watched his willpower waver ever so fleetingly.

Jamie glared up at her, “You’re evil.”

Y/n snickered as she went back to her spot, stealing a bite before going back to unpacking. “Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be with Roy?”

“Night before a match, I’m off,” Jamie swung around the bar to the kitchen.

“So shouldn’t you be resting?” Y/n asked as she un-bubble wrapped a stack of plates.

“I will,” Jamie shrugged, bending over to peel the tape off a box.

Y/n glanced over, watching as Jamie began to unpack various glasses. He didn’t offer, he didn’t ask, just went about it as if it were his business. It was slightly intrusive…and also kind.

Jamie Tartt, Y/n had come to learn, was nothing and everything like what she’d thought he’d be. He had more depth than he let onto and he’d shown a side of it by trying to help her find a place. And though she knew the Zava battle was a personal thing for him, she also knew how much Jamie cared about his team. He wanted to be at his best for them just as much as he did for himself.

Unlike Keeley, who announced her efforts to get Y/n to crack at every turn, or Ted, who went overboard, Jamie hadn’t tried to enter into Y/n’s life. He had simply occurred.

“Do you get nervous?” Y/n asked out of pure curiosity, “Before games?”

“Not really. I mean,” Jamie answered, lining up coffee mugs in a cupboard, “Sometimes. Depends.”

Y/n stretched on her toes to put away china she never used, “On?”

“I dunno,” Jamie replied, a particular trigger or two popping up, “Lots of things.”

“So what about tomorrow?” Y/n continued.

Any slip Jamie’s mind had made was caught with quick footing. “Nah,” he said confidently, “Nah, we got that.”

“Well, good,” Y/n exhaled, setting the empty box on the floor, “It’d be nice to get a win. And hey, if it doesn’t work out and you’re forced to retire after this season, I’m sure the reality tv world is still thriving with opportunities.”

Jamie managed to grimace while smiling, “How the fuck did you find out about that?”

“You thought the PR department wouldn’t know about that?” Y/n strode past him to get another box, “I also live in England.”

“You at least vote for me?” Jamie asked, a playful lilt to his tone.

Y/n hoisted another box of kitchenware into her arms and balanced it on her knee. “Yep, you caught me,” she sarcastically grunted, “I have a weakness for crap tv featuring mediocre footballers.”

Jamie set down the mug in his hand with a particular harshness. Mediocre footballer. “Now, hang on-“ he began.

“Less talking, more working,” Y/n cut him off, she stopped to check out the cupboard he was finishing. “That’s also not where they go.”

“What?”

“The mugs,” Y/n gestured to where her coffee maker was, “Disrupts the flow if they’re all the way over there.”

Jamie rolled his eyes, only playful annoyance accompanying. “God forbid we disturb the flow,” he lamented, grabbing a mug in each hand and heading to the correct cabinet.

They unpacked in comfortable silence a minute more before Y/n decided it didn’t matter if Jamie wasn’t nervous about the match. They needed all the encouragement they could get.

“It’ll happen tomorrow,” she said, referring to their recent losses.

Regardless of whether he was hiding any feelings or if they’d pop out the moment he stepped on the pitch, Jamie stopped what he was doing to absorb the kind words. Y/n was a recent addition to his life, certainly an unexpected one, but she felt…safe. Like even if they didn’t know anything about each other past their mutual taste in real estate, he didn’t have to act so much around her.

“Thanks,” he replied, making effort to meet her eyes.

Y/n gave a small smile, “It will.”

—————————

It didn’t.

Over the next month, Richmond’s lack of luck turned to a 7-game losing streak. Some weeks were better than others, but they all ended the same way: with the Greyhounds leaving the pitch with their heads hanging in defeat.

Luckily, Y/n was kept occupied on the eighth week. Jack Danvers was coming into the office for a meeting and Keeley had asked Y/n to be there as well.

“You’re all business-y,” she’d said, “You know way more than I do, plus, Jack really likes you.”

Y/n sat on one side of Jack, with Barbara on the other, as she and Keeley recounted the conversation and clash of opinions they’d had recently.

“I completely understand where Barbara’s coming from,” Keeley said, keeping a kind tone as she turned to her CFO, “But as I was explaining to you, I’m worried that by adding more clients that could mean less attention paid to the wonderful people we already represent.”

“And then,” Barbara chuckled, though she lacked any humor, “I reminded Keeley, as you’ve said so many times, Jack, that if it does get to the point where we feel we’re spreading ourselves thinly, then we’ll hire more people,” she grinned politely at Keeley, “It’s called ‘growth.’”

Y/n and Keeley glanced over at one another fleetingly, the tension was so poorly concealed, it was getting uncomfortable.

“I’m sure you can see that as well, Y/n,” Barbara gestured towards Y/n.

“Actually, Keeley’s absolutely right, in my opinion,” Y/n answered, spotting her boss a smile, “There’s big firms, there’s small firms. Both have their allure, but I think our personability is the biggest thing we have going for us.”

“Oh,” Barbara’s grin grew scarier, “Wonderful, wonderful…”

Jack looked sweetly towards Barbara, “Okay. Let me weight in here.

“Oh, please,” Barbara obliged.

“I agree with Keeley,” Jack finished.

“Oh, that’s great,” Barbara beamed.

“Being a small boutique firm is exactly what sets you apart, like Y/n said,” Jack went on, “You want a restaurant to look successful, you take out half the tables and you have a line out the door. I say, let’s go for it.”

Keeley and Jack shared a smile.

“No, that’s wonderful. Yeah,” Barbara forced out as she rose, “And instead of salaries, we can give away the tables we threw out.”

“Don’t worry, Barbara,” Jack called, “It’ll be great.”

Barbara mumbled some dishonest agreement as she left the room, leaving it open on her way out.

Jack turned to Keeley and Y/n, “Do you ever think sunshine gets jealous of her?”

The women shared a laugh just before a knock at the door revealed Shandy. “Knock, knock.”

“Hi, babe,” Keeley greeted her friend.

“Now that your little cool girls meeting’s done,” Shandy leaned on the empty chair, very visibly unhappy, “Just wanted to share the exciting news that I’ve started an app.”

“Oh,” Keeley replied.

“It’s like Bantr, but it’s better and cooler,” Shandy’s tone was even and icy, “And actually cares about helping people have sex with celebrities.”

Y/n kept her head down, sharing an awkward glance with Jack. This was strictly Keeley’s business to handle.

“What? Shandy-“ Keeley began.

“It’s called ‘Star Fuckr,’” she announced before looking to Jack, “And yeah, we are looking for investors.”

When Jack didn’t offer to write a multi-zero check right then and there, Shandy stood tall, shot daggers at Keeley and strutted her way out of the room.

“I take it she’s still angry about the whole Bantr thing?” Jack asked.

“Oh, yes,” Keeley nodded, “Shandy does not have a good relationship with rejection, or her ex, or with her workplace, or most nouns, really.”

“‘You are so passionate, but I have to let you go,” Jack said, pulling Y/n and Keeley’s attention, “‘I’m sorry, but I know someone as brilliant as you will land on their feet.”

Keeley struggled momentarily, “What did I do?”

“No, no, no, no,” Jack reached out across the desk, “Keeley, sorry. That’s what you say when you fire Shandy.”

Y/n and Keeley both exhaled forcefully, laughing after.

“Sorry,” Jack apologized.

“No, no, it’s fine,” Y/n’s hand was pressed to her chest, “I just saw my lease flash before my eyes.”

“It’s called a compliment sandwich,” Jack explained, “You give someone bad news, but to soften the blow, you slap it between two delicious slices of compliments.”

Keeley nodded, “But I can’t fire Shandy. She’ll hate me. And she really thinks she’s killing it.”

“I am sure she does,” Jack exhaled, “The worst people often think they’re the best. My dad calls it ‘talent dysmorphia.’”

Keeley laughed while Y/n stayed silent, knowing what was coming next.

“What do you think?” Keeley turned to her hardest worker, “Do you think it’s the right decision?”

Y/n looked down at her notebook, taking a deep breath to see if it would help the force of what she wanted to say dissipate. Jack was waiting on her too, and she couldn’t lie to her or Keeley.

“I think…” she started slow before shutting her eyes and letting it fly, “Keeley, if you don’t fire her, she will literally run the company into the ground and strut over its mangled corpse.”

When she opened her eyes, Jack and Keeley were leant back an inch or two as if to avoid the splash of her opinion. Before she could try and explain it more eloquently, the two women started laughing.

“No, no,” Jack chuckled, “Don’t hold back.”

Y/n exhaled with a small smile, turning to Keeley, “I’m sorry.”

“No,” Keeley reached a hand over and poked the back of Y/n’s, “That’s why you’re my best. You don’t hold back.”

It was ironic, they both knew, considering how withdrawn Y/n kept herself. But with Keeley, it seemed to be a bit of a joke between the two of them.

“You two wanna get some lunch?” Jack asked when the giggles had died down, “My meeting just got pushed.”

“Abso-fucking-lutely,” Keeley smiled, “Yeah, my stomach started grumbling when you said ‘compliment sandwich.’”

“You guys enjoy,” Y/n rose with them and collected her purse, “I’ve gotta get back to the office.”

“Oh,” Keeley reached back over her desk and handed Y/n a sheet of paper, “Give this to Zava. A couple more people called requesting interviews.”

Y/n glanced over the list she’d originally made, it seemed like the Zava craze still hadn’t died down. In fact, the more Richmond lost, the more people wanted to hear what he had to say. “Are we sure it’s a good idea to do so many interviews on a seven-game streak?”

“That’s the thing,” Keeley grabbed her coat, “The press eat up whatever Zava says. Can’t get enough.”

Quirking an eyebrow in understanding, Y/n tucked the list in her book and tried to imagine the ridiculous headlines that would be tied to Richmond this week.

—————————

Returning to the office after having taken lunch by herself, Y/n rapped two knuckles on the open locker room door. She still knew to wait for the all-clear.

“Everybody decent?”

A chorus of various ‘yeses’ were her key in.

“Zava,” Y/n turned to the star player, “Here’s your interview schedule. The press is really eager this weekend in particular. Let me know if there’s any changes you want to make.”

Zava pressed a hand to his heart and touched Y/n’s arm with the other. “Thank you,” he said softly, before looking to his teammates, “Men.”

Taking hold of both her shoulders, Zava guided Y/n to stand in front of him. “Okay,” Y/n stuttered as she was stood in front of the entire team. Seated in the middle of the room with Isaac, Jamie matched her confused gaze.

“This is what your hearts should be seeking,” Zava began to wax his odd form of poetry, “Brains, talent, warmth-“

Y/n’s brow creased, what the fuck had she walked into?

“Outer beauty will fade,” he continued, “But a smudge like this,” Zava smiled down on Y/n, “It will last forever.”

Zava patted her shoulders once more before throwing his towel over his shoulder and exiting the room. Not only was Y/n left with every Greyhound staring at her, contemplating Zava’s words, but with his schedule still clutched in her hand.

“Can someone make sure he gets this?” Y/n asked, failing to keep her tone even.

“Oh,” Dani raised his hand and climbed over Jamie’s leg to get to Y/n, “I will.”

Y/n willingly handed it off, “Thank you, Dani.” Not caring to spend another second in the room, she turned on her heel and left. She backtracked her steps quickly, “Is a smudge a good or a bad thing?”

Colin scrunched his face up, “It’s not…not…a good thing.”

Pressing a hand to her temple, Y/n decided she didn’t need to know any more about whatever conversation she’d interrupted and left the locker room.

—————————

The Man City match came about like every other one, but the air of anticipation heightened with each week. Would this be the day Richmond finally broke their streak? Or would they take another step towards double digits?

Not more than a second after Y/n had parked in the car lot, her phone rang with a call from Higgins.

“Hi,” she answered, “What’s going on?”

“Are you here yet?” Higgins asked, his tone nervous.

Y/n shut the door to her car, striding towards the back entrance to the stadium. “I just pulled in.”

“Could you pop into the coach’s office?”

“Yeah,” Y/n hung on the syllable suspiciously, turning in the other direction and swinging the door to the office building open. “Be right there.”

Y/n took long steps down the hall, passing by the locker room and heading straight for Ted’s office.

“Hey,” she said as she entered. Coach Beard, Roy and Higgins were standing around the desk clump, huddled together in conversation. Ted was already on the pitch. “What’s wrong?”

Beard kept his hand pressed to his mouth, Roy scowled at the air.

“It seems that Zava hasn’t showed up yet,” Higgins answered, “No one knows where he is.”

Y/n’s lips parted in confusion, “He’s just…not here?”

“Apparently so.”

Setting aside her annoyance, Y/n snapped into work mode and pulled her phone from her coat pocket. “Alright,” she scanned her contacts, “Let me get on the phone with some people. See if I can track him down.”

“He’d better fucking be here,” Roy growled at no one in particular.

Y/n raised her phone to her ear and pointed to Roy and Trent’s office, the former nodding for her to take it. She started at the top of the list of Zava’s personal team he’d given to her, Keeley and Higgins. Why a fecalist needed to be considered an emergency contact, Y/n would never understand, but she’d try whoever she had to…

Except the fecalist hadn’t heard from him.

Or his agent.

Or anyone Y/n dialed.

Defeatedly, and beginning to grow anxious, Y/n rejoined Beard, Roy and Higgins. “No one knows where the fuck he is,” she answered.

“Fuck,” Roy muttered.

“We got three minutes,” Beard shrugged, “What the fuck do we do?”

“Start Colin,” Roy resolved before looking to Y/n, “If you track that prick down, I don’t care, you fucking get on the pitch and tell us.”

Y/n gave a definitive nod, “You got it.”

With not so much a plan as a temporary fix, Roy and Beard left for the locker room while Y/n and Higgins headed for the hall.

“I told everyone to call me if they hear from him,” Y/n reported as they walked.

“What could be so important to make him miss a match?” Higgins pondered as they made their way to the stadium.

“I don’t know, but so long as his wife and kids are breathing and in possession of all their limbs,” Y/n practically growled, the cheering of packed house of Greyhounds growing louder with each step, “I’ll drag him onto the field myself.”

—————————

Rebecca took to the news…as expected.

“Who the fuck does he think he is?”

Y/n sat on one side of her boss, raising two fingers of the hand rubbing at her temple, in agreement.

“So just, no one’s heard from him?” Rebecca asked.

“No one,” Higgins grimaced.

“Well,” Rebecca let her palms fall against her legs, “There goes any chance of a win.”

“Let’s pray otherwise,” Y/n scanned her phone for the fifth time since she’d sat down. It was then that she realized there was a very vocal presence missing. “Where’s Keeley?”

Snapping out of her most likely violent thoughts, Rebecca unlocked her phone and held it up to Y/n. She found a text thread from Keeley including a message that said she’d be missing the game. Below it was a picture of a baby lamb standing on the table of the KJPR conference room, surrounded by its own feces.

Three months ago, Y/n might have had a question or twelve. Now, she simply nodded and sat back in her seat. “So Shandy’s gone,” she mumbled to herself.

The game went as well as the last ones had. Colin, though talented, couldn’t rival Zava’s skill. Jamie’s extra training wasn’t the solution either, and Man City walked away with a 4-0 win against the Greyhounds.

Rebecca retired to her office while Higgins and Y/n headed to touch base with the coaches. Trent met them along the way.

“No one heard from him?” Trent asked Y/n on their way.

“Not a single text or call during the game,” Y/n scrolled her phone as they walked, an Instagram notification popping up, “Shit.”

Higgins looked over, “What?”

Y/n stopped midway to their destination, hitting play on the video.

“Hello, how are you?” Zava spoke, dressed in casual wear, “I’m just - I have to share something with you, my friends. You are not my followers. You are my believers.”

Trent and Higgins came to stand beside Y/n, expectantly waiting for an answer.

“And so it— I have to tell you,” the man paused, “Zava has played his last match. I will now dedicate all of my time and all of my energy to my family and my avocado farm.”

The rest of whatever utter nonsense Zava had to spew, Y/n didn’t listen. She was infuriated, partially because of his actions, and partially because they’d all allowed themselves to think it was ever a good idea to hire him. He’d fed the Greyhounds to the wolves with no regret and it affected all of AFC Richmond.

When the video ended, Trent, Y/n and Higgins shared a hopeless look.

“We’ve got to tell the boys,” Higgins finally spoke, shrugging slightly.

The three of them made their way down the rest of the hall where the locker room door hung open. The scene inside was dismal, each of the men sat on the benches with their heads hung.

“Hey, guys,” Higgins greeted in an attempt to stay positive, “Good effort today.”

“Mr. Higgins,” Colin spoke up from his seat, “Is it true about Zava?”

Y/n cast her gaze downwards, avoiding eye contact with any of them.

“I’m afraid so,” Higgins replied.

Dani, cradling a towel to his face, began to weep into the fabric.

“Maybe some tissues for Dani,” Higgins muttered quietly.

“Hey, hey, guys,” Sam stood with his phone in hand, “Zava just posted a video.”

“Oh gosh,” Y/n grumbled under her breath as the Greyhounds circled up. Everyone except Jamie, who remained sat on the floor.

The boys watched the video, clinging to every last word at the start, and walking away with mumbled curses and shakes of the head. Any love or respect they had for their former teammate had been lost within thirty virtual seconds.

Y/n snuck a glance over at Jamie, expecting to see him struggle to keep his joy under wraps. She couldn’t have been more wrong. Even he was in shock.

“Gentlemen,” Ted said as he entered, quickly noticing Y/n’s presence, “And lady. That was a tough one tonight. Okay? Man City has still got our number. That’s all right. We gonna get another crack at ‘em later in the season. Uh-huh,” Ted looked to Beard, “Coach? No practice tomorrow.”

Beard nodded, “That’s right.”

“Okay,” Ted looked back to the team, “Well, I’ll see y’all on Monday.”

While the rest of the team began to talk amongst themselves, Sam looked up confusedly at Ted. “Hey, hey. Hey, Coach,” he called till the manager stopped in his tracks, “What about Zava?”

Ted glanced over at Zava’s multiple lockers, his empty chair.

“He quit the team,” Sam stated, as if it unheard news.

“I mean, technically he retired from the whole sport,” Ted clarified, “Which makes it feel a little less personal, yeah? You know, like if your girlfriend runs off with some dude and it turns out they were soulmates.”

The Greyhounds replied quietly in agreement.

“But look, look, look, look,” Ted redirected their focus back, “I hear you, okay? Zava is gone. And you know what? I think it’s a good thing.”

The boys began to argue back in shock.

“Well, I do. Okay, look,” Ted spoke over his players, “Do I wanna win? Heck yeah. But I also wanna do it with folks that wanna be here. It’s not like we could handcuff him to his locker and make him love us.”

“We could have tried,” a desperate Dani replied.

As the initial surprised faded, Y/n was beginning to match Ted’s opinion. Zava may have taken them for a temporary ride to the top, but this ultimate insult had shown that his heart was next in Richmond.

“Hey, guys. Guys, look,” Ted held up a hand, “We got a good thing going here. All right?” Ted’s eyes fell to his left, meeting Jamie’s, “We didn’t need Zava. Yeah?”

No one dared disturb the silence as the truth washed over each of them, including those who weren’t players.

“Yeah,” Ted said quietly, “All we need to win are the fellas in this room, right now,” he pointed to the men on the benches, “And all you fellas need to do is believe it.”

No sooner than when Ted had uttered the last two words did the bright yellow ‘Believe’ sign hanging over his head split itself down the middle. The Greyhounds jumped to their feet and cried out to various degrees. Even Y/n gasped a little, having learned of its significance.

“It’s a sign,” Bumbercatch called out.

“That’s it,” Colin held up his hands, accepting fate, “We’re doomed.”

As the locker room grew louder, Ted held up his hands and attempted to settle things down.

“Now hold on. Hey, knock it off, okay? We’re not doomed. No one is doomed. But Bumbercatch, yes, you’re right. It is a sign. I agree, Yeah.”

Ted turned around and removed both halves of his handiwork, folding them together. “In fact this, it’s just a sign.”

Without any hesitation, Ted tore the paper into four pieces, sending the locker room into chaos again.

“All right, guys, listen to me,” Ted commanded the room, “Belief doesn’t just happen ‘cause you hang something up on a wall. All right? It comes from in here,” he touched his chest, “You know? And up here,” he touched his temple before hitting his stomach, “Down here. Only problem is, we all got so much junk floating through us, a lot of times, we end up getting in our own way.”

Y/n had yet to be present for any of Ted’s locker room speeches, as she had no reason to be. But immediately, like some spiritual presence moving through the room, she felt his words take hold of her.

“You know, crap like envy or fear, shame,” Ted continued, seemingly speaking to himself as well, “I don’t wanna mess around with that shit anymore. You know what I mean? Do you?”

He wasn’t speaking to her, but the question still penetrated Y/n all the same. She could feel a familiar ball of anxiety beginning to build in her stomach.

“No, me neither,” Ted shook his head after the boys answered back, “Hell no. Well, you know what I wanna mess around with? The belief that I matter, you know? Regardless of what I do or don’t achieve.”

One blade inserted itself into Y/n’s gut, the omnipresent pain causing her heart rate to speed up.

“Or the belief that we all deserve to be loved,” Ted went on, “Whether we’ve been hurt or maybe we’ve hurt somebody else.”

A second blade settled in Y/n’s chest, this one causing the muscles to contract. She closed her eyes in an attempt to keep the rising emotions at bay.

“Or what about the belief of hope?” Ted asked, “Yeah? That’s what I wanna mess with. Believing that things can get better. That I can get better. That we will get better.”

Better, Y/n thought on the word. Better. Did things ever get better? Or did ‘bad’ just shapeshift into something else? Did it just wait along the road in the shadows, waiting for ‘better’ to come merrily on its way?

“Oh, man,” Ted sighed, “To believe in yourself. To believe in one another. Man, that’s fundamental to being alive. And look. Yo, hey. If you can do that,” he pointed to each player in the room, “If each of your can truly do that-“

Ted made one more rip down the sign’s tatters, walking to the center of the room. “Can’t nobody rip that apart.”

As the remains of the sign slapped against the metal bench, Y/n’s anxiety reached its brim. She placed a near shaking hand on Higgins’ shoulder to signal she was leaving before slipping out the back door. Blearily, she made it down the hall and outside, the fresh air of the parking lot slamming into her.

Once in the safety of her car, she allowed herself to weep.

Zava was the furthest thing from her mind. The incoming headlines, another loss on the scoreboard…all of it. She couldn’t have cared less if she’d tried. All she could feel was the crippling ache in her chest, the sting of her tears, the overwhelming feeling that came with being utterly alone. When a person became aware of just how much bigger the world around them was and how infinitely small they really were. The pain that could be remedied with a simple hug or a comforting word.

Y/n let out a silent sob, the familiar ache of all she wanted having taken a new form, once again. It would certainly kill her to allow herself her basic needs, to walk back in and hurt with the people inside. And it would break her all the same to continue hiding.

————

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daddyy333 · 7 months

Text

Take care of yourself | Eddie Munson x y/n

if you’d like you can reblog my original work, but please don’t post it without credit. if you take inspiration from my ideas please tag me, I’d like to see how someone else would write it

word count: 1.0k

warnings: reader has low iron, reader passes out, ?

if I got any information about having low iron incorrect, please let me know and I will correct it

summary: Eddie just wants you take care of yourself

You should’ve known better. You’d run out of your iron supplements weeks ago and kept forgetting to buy them again. You felt fine for a while, and then all your symptoms came back. You kept meaning to buy it, truly, but things would come up or you’d be so exhausted you forgot everything and just focused on getting home.

Today, you felt the worst you’ve ever felt in your life. Your entire body felt heavy, and you were so dizzy you almost felt like you were swaying all day (you definitely were), and your manager sent you home because you looked sick.

“Baby?” Eddie said as you walked in the door. You sighed, rubbing your eyes as you set your keys down and hung your bag up. He walked over and kissed your head, a little surprised when your sort of leaned all your weight on him.

“You tired?” He asked and you nodded. He rubbed your back and said “let me make you something to eat first, go get comfy” “no it’s okay” you mumbled, slowly walking to the bedroom. Eddie noticed how weak you seemed and quickly grabbed your hips to steady you.

“My love, what’s going on?” He asked and you shook your head. You shivered a little, feeling really cold before you said “it’s nothing, I’m just really tired” “alright,” he said cautiously. He kissed your head and you made your way to the bedroom.

You sighed, slipping off your shirt and pants and turning on the shower. You shivered slightly, brushing through your hair. You felt so weak, you couldn’t wait to sleep.

You lost your balance trying to step into the shower, at least that’s what you tried to convince Eddie has happened. What really happened was you completely passed out and barely missed the handle of the shower as you fell.

“Baby!” Eddie yelled, running into the bathroom. He turned off the shower, and scooped you up into his arms, kissing your head a few times. He rubbed your arm and said “baby, baby wake up for me, yea? Come on, y/n, stop scaring me”

You groaned and squirmed in his arms, making him sigh a breath of relief. “Sweetheart, please, please calm down it’s just me” “I’m fi- I’m fine, Eddie. I just slipped” you said and tried to get out of his arms. He held you tight and you weren’t nearly strong enough to fight back.

“Babe, when was the last time you took your iron pills?” He asked and you groaned. He tapped your cheek, thinking you were losing consciousness again. You sighed and said “um…I don’t know, a few weeks ago? Please don’t- d-don’t take me the hospital. We can’t afford it”

“Weeks? God, baby you’re killing me. And yourself, fuck’s sake!” He said and scooped you up. You sniffled and said “I’m so tired, Eddie” “I know, I know my love” he said and set you on the bed, smoothing your hair back.

He went to the kitchen to find your list of “iron good foods” that you wrote a long time ago so when you needed to keep your iron levels up when your meds ran out you could at least try to by eating these things. Eddie got you a whole platter of everything you had in the kitchen that was on your list and made his way to the room.

“Eddie…it’s cold” you said, shaking slightly. You were panting softly, curled up under the blanket. He caressed your cheek and said “baby, eat some of this stuff. I’m gonna run to Walgreens and get your prescription. I’m gonna have Max come watch you while I’m gone”

He had to get out of there fast, you looked so tired and weak it was breaking his heart. You reached out and grabbed his hand, beginning to scare yourself now. “Wait, wait don’t leave” you said and sighed.

He couldn’t help it as the tears streamed down his cheeks. He remembered the first time this happened and you being in the hospital and discovering your ridiculously low iron levels, it all brought back so much fear and anxiety.

“What’s wrong baby? Do I need to get you to the hospital?” He asked, voice shaky and strained. You whimpered and said “no, no…I just- I-I can’t breathe” “it’s okay, it’s okay just take some deep breaths for me” he said as he caressed your cheek.

When you were feeling a little less like you were gonna pass out 29 times in one minute he got up and called Max to have her get your prescription and some hydration packets as well.

You ended up taking a nap and when you woke up you were feeling better. You knew it would take a couple weeks to actually feel more human and less zombie but you could at least take that shower you wanted and walk around the house.

“You can’t do that again. You know how poorly your body stores iron, you can’t forget to take it. Who knows how much longer you would’ve gone had this not happened, you know eventually it becomes toxic. You have to take care of yourself, babe” he said as he cupped your cheeks, kissing your head.

You nodded and said “I know, I’ve just been so busy and it’s honestly just really stupid that I’ll depend on this stupid pill forever. I hate it, and I wish I wouldn’t pass out because of some stupid thing in my body keeping me from getting one stupid freaking vitamin” “I know gorgeous, I know it’s stupid” he said and you buried your head in his chest.

You took a deep breath and said “I’m sorry I scared you” “it’s okay, I’m just glad I was here. I think I would’ve passed out too if I came home to find you like that” he said and chuckled. You giggled and looked up at him.

“You must really love me if you’re this worked up” you said and he rolled his eyes. You giggled even more and he said “this is what it takes for you to realize?” He shook his head and kissed you softly, grinning at how cute you look.

Taglist: @readsalot73 @hellfire1986baby @my-munson-styles

@tlclick73 @munsonmecrazy

@prestinalove @nevermoreraven1

As of now l'm writing for

Eddie Munson

Lo’ak

Neteyam

Sebastian Stan

Bucky Barnes

CW!Bucky Barnes

Chris Evans

Geralt of Rivia

Henry Cavill

Chris Sturniolo

So just comment the taglist you want to be added to and l'll add you :)

#stranger things #eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson blurb #eddie munson fanfic #eddie x fem!reader #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x fem!reader fluff #eddie munson x fem reader #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson fluff

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nnaminxz · 5 months

Text

“𝕻𝖗𝖊𝖙𝖙𝖞 𝕲𝖎𝖗𝖑𝖘 𝕯𝖔𝖓’𝖙 𝕮𝖗𝖞“

↳ 𝔰𝔲𝔤𝔲𝔯𝔲 𝔤𝔢𝔱𝔬

⤑ 𝔤𝔢𝔫𝔯𝔢: smut & angst

⤑ 𝔰𝔲𝔪𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔶: if the saying is “misery loves company” why isn’t Suguru happy right now?

⤑ 𝔱𝔞𝔤𝔰: Gojo Satoru slander I’m sorry but I had too, I love him very much tho, sad feelings, sad reader, suguru is kind of ass too, maybe a lil ooc but it’s fanfic so don’t attack me, vaginal sex, riding, the ending may be dumb but it’s whatever, minors dni

⤑ 𝔞𝔲𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔯𝔰 𝔫𝔬𝔱𝔢: I wrote this for an another fandom a WHILE ago and always wanted to redo it so I thought why not redo it for my first jjk fic. I hope you guys enjoy this is my first time posting for this fandom so I’m vv nervous/excited. Pls be kind

Suguru always thought this would make him happy.

Seeing you around campus with Satoru made him angry enough, so he just knew that when the inevitable happened and Satoru started acting like well—Satoru again the sight was guaranteed to bring much happiness to his heart.

He knew it was sick, that he wanted to see whatever you and Satoru had going on fail but Suguru couldn't help it.

None of it mattered though because it didn’t happen.

Suguru sat in the same place for two hours watching the two of you—waiting for the feeling of bitter happiness to fill his bones but it never came.

In fact, it was the exact opposite.

Watching you fight to get Satoru’s attention made him sad. Seeing how no matter what you did he would rather pay more attention to everyone else made Suguru angry. And watching you finally leave the room and the other boy not even bat an eye made him furious.

If he was truly surprised or even thought the other boy would care, Suguru would’ve went over to him and said something but it wasn’t worth it. Satoru was just like him.

An idiot.

A dumbass.

They couldn’t tell when they had a good thing even if it’d slapped them across the face.

“Where you going?” Haibara questions as Suguru stands to his feet.

“Need a smoke,”

“Ah,” The other boy nodded his head. “Are you having fun?”

Suguru decides to lie again. The happiness on his friends face to pure to ruin with his sour mood.

“I told you coming out tonight would be a good idea.”

“Yeah,” Suguru fakes a grin. “I’ll be back.” He took the pack of cigarettes out his pocket waving them before walking away.

Suguru easily maneuvers his way through the thick crowd until he was standing on the back porch. The screen door shut with a thud causing you to swiftly snap around. There was a hopeful and expectant look on your face but when you saw it was him all that fell as you turned back around.

“Well, hello to you too,” Suguru jokes trying to hide the actual physical pain he was feeling in his heart.

That used to be him you were so eager to see.

“What do you want?” You huffed softly.

“Needed a smoke.”

The way you turned to look at him with such concern almost made Suguru laugh. Here you were angry at him, going through your own shit, and still somehow harbored enough care to be concerned with his health.

“I though you quit?”

Suguru plops down next to you pulling the carton out his pocket flipping the cap open. “I did.” He says showing you the empty pack..

“You carry around an empty pack?”

“It’s a good way for me to make an exit,”

You left out a long sigh. “I looked that pitiful huh?”

“You don’t look pitiful. He just looks stupid.”

Though you didn’t say anything back you didn’t need to for Suguru to already know what you were thinking. He knew you like the back of his hand and no doubt you were beating yourself up, angry with yourself when in reality you should’ve been focused on the one who deserved it.

“I’m so stupid,” You whisper and its so low that it Suguru wasn’t already so hyper-focused on your very existence he would’ve probably missed it.

“No, you’re not.”

“You told me he was like this.”

“People told you about me and you still gave me a chance,”

“So I am stupid.”

“You’re trusting,” Suguru counters. “You give people the benefit of the doubt.”

“why is it that trusting people always end up looking stupid?”

“because others take advantage of it.”

Something he knew all to well.

You both fall silent again. The only noise filling the space are the sounds of nature and the muffled thumping music that escaped the noisy house. Suguru looks over at you wishing there was something he could to do. Something he could say. Seeing you like this hurt him.

He hated seeing you cry.

He felt like dying when you were upset.

But it also hurt to see you happy so Suguru wasn’t exactly sure what he wanted.

All this shit was so weird. An uncharted territory before you came along.

Every time the screen door would creak open you’d twist around to see if it was him and every time you ended up turning back around in disappointment. As your disappointment grew, so did Suguru’s anger.

You only deserved the best things in life. None of this push and pull, ‘I’m here but around others I’m not’ bullshit.

Suguru was such a hypocrite.

Here he was furious with Satoru when he used to just as much of an asshole to you as well. He too would push and pull right until he pushed you away completely.

“I’m sorry,” He quietly apologizes. If he’d just gotten his act together sooner there would be no you and Satoru. You wouldn’t be sad and he would still have you.

You shake your head softly shushing him. “Not right now please,” You say. “Can you take me home? I just really want to go back home.”

Without saying anything else Suguru nodded. As both of you were walking to his car you passed a big window. Sadly it was a clear shot to Satoru who now had another girl seated next to him in your place.

Not only had he not noticed your absence but that easily he’d replaced you.

“He’s such a fucking ass.”

“Yeah,” You agree. “Let’s just go,”

Suguru had evert urge to go in there and go off but when he looked back over you were already halfway to his car so he kept it moving. Satoru wasn’t worth it anyway. He was just another dick who thought way too much of himself.

Satoru didn’t deserve you.

Neither did Suguru.

One in the car Suguru sent Haibara a quick message saying he was going home before shifting the car into gear.

As expected the drive was silent. There wasn’t much to say. As much as Suguru wanted to comfort you he didn’t know what to do even if he did you probably wouldn’t want to hear it from him. Why would you?

Suguru knew every route to and from your apartment but decided to take the longest one. If you noticed you didn’t say anything. All you did was keep quiet as you looked out the window.

You stayed that way until he pulled up to you complex. Before getting out of the car you whisper as soft thank you and force a smile.

“yeah, no problem,” Suguru murmurs.

He’s about to pull away when out the corner of his eye he spots your small tube of lip gloss sitting in his cup holder. You had a million of them and even thought you probably wouldn’t even realize this one was missing Suguru still found himself on a journey to your front door.

Who know this could’ve been your favorite one.

The one in the pink tube was your favorite actually.

But Suguru already knew that.

“You left this,” Suguru says once you open the door.

“Thanks,” You mutter grabbing it from his hand. “I have a million in this flavor.”

“I know.”

For the first time tonight a genuine smile filled your lips. It was small and not the one he was used to seeing but for right now it would do. It was better than nothing.

Though your eyes were sad and bloodshot you were still as beautiful as ever to him.

“Please don’t cry over him. He doesn’t deserve your tears.”

“I just want something real,” You say in a small voice your arms wrapping around your body.

“What we had was real.”

“You were just like him.”

“I know.”

“I’m sorry,” Suguru adds, his voice wavering as he tries to get out the words. “I’m so fucking sorry.”

“I know,” you say this time.

Suguru is walking away when you call out his name. As soon as he turns back around your lips are on his. He’s shocked for a moment, standing there with wide eyes, but quickly he fall back into your old routine. His heart is pounding so hard against his chest and Suguru wonder if you could feel it as well.

With every kiss he pulls you closer to him. It’s been months since he’d last had you this close and Suguru didn’t want it to end any time soon. He missed this, the soft breaths that escape you, the fruity taste of your lip gloss, the way your hands cradle his face.

Slowly your hands roam from his face to his jacket and then finally when they land on his belt Suguru forces himself to pull away.

Suguru lets out a sigh resting his forehead against yours. “We can’t.” He mutters.

He wanted you but not this way. Not when you were like this.

“Why?”

“You’re….” his voice trails off.

“I’m sober,”

“You’re sad.” He counters.

You give him a shrug. “ I want this. I need this.”

Suguru knows what this was. A rebound fuck. Simply a way for you to get back at Satoru in your mind but couldn’t bring himself to care as he kisses you again. He knows this was going to hurt in the morning but he’d deal with that when it came.

A satisfied moan leaves your lips. “Please,” You beg and Suguru nods, not even needing to know what exactly you were asking for because he already was prepared to give you everything.

Reaching behind him Suguru pushed the front door closed. “Where?” Without saying anything you guided him both over to the couch lightly pushing him down before climbing on top.

You pulled off your dress and without a second thought, Suguru hands find their way to your breast, lifting the mounds out of the cups. His tongue gently swipes over both nipples before picking one to suck on while he twisted the other between his fingers.

“Fuck,” Soft moans escape your plump lips as you arch further into him. “It’s always about him.”

Suguru pulls away for a brief moment and shushes you before taking in the other nipple. He didn’t want to hear about you and Satoru. The thoughts tortured him enough.

It did bring him a sick satisfaction to know that Satoru was a lazy lover.

“M’sorry,”

“Don’t be. This is just about us right now.”

You nod, pressing your fingers underneath Suguru’s chin as lift up his head so you could kiss him again. Suguru’s hands were everywhere. From your ass to your stomach, your thighs, he couldn’t get enough.

“Touch me,” You command.

Suguru happily listens, his fingers easily finding their way into your panties. You were already so wet. The juices soaking him with just a few movements. His fingers dances across your clit pulling airy groans from your mouth. To him you look so beautiful, your head tossed back, eyes fluttering, as your hips rocks into his fingers.

“Need you in me.”

“Wanna taste you.”

You shake your head, big glossy needy eyes focused on him. “Next time maybe.”

His heart jumps at the words ‘next time’. Suguru really hopes there is a next time. Not even for the sex. He just wanted you.

You lift up allowing Suguru the room to pull his pants down. After pulling your own panties to the side you grab his cock and align it before sinking down.

Groans leave both of your mouths and before Suguru can even collect his thoughts you began to bounce up and down. Suguru isn’t even sure were to focus. Your bouncing breast, the perfect contortions of your face, or the lewd scene between your legs.

He leans forward and takes your nipple into his mouth again. You felt so good. So wet. So warm. The tight grip on his hair only sending more pleasure through his body while you alternate between bouncing and grinding. Your eyes were closed and you weren’t focused on anything but yourself.

You were using him but none of that mattered.

“Suguru,” you whine, finally looking at him. “feels so good. It feels so good.”

“Only ever want to make you feel good y/n,”

Suguru says it so quietly that he wasn’t even sure you’d heard or if you did you’d understood what exactly he meant but when your eyes began to water again Suguru knew you had.

You hide your face into the crook of his neck, wrapping your arms around him. When your hips began to falter in pace Suguru knows your close. Once your pussy tightens and your legs begin to shake, Suguru lets himself fall apart too.

You both stay like that. Breathing labored wrapped in each other's arms not saying anything. You stay that way until he hears your little sniffles and feels the tears falling onto his shoulder.

“Don’t cry. Pretty girls don’t cry.”

“Then stop making me.”

#geto suguru #getou suguru x reader #suguru geto smut #getou suguru x y/n #jujutsu kaisen smut #getou suguru x you #suguru smut #suguru angst #suguru x reader #suguru x y/n #jjk smut #geto smut #geto x reader #geto x you #geto x y/n #jjk x reader #jujustsu kaisen x reader

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heavenlybutler · 2 years

Text

i can’t keep waiting

part one

pairing: austin!elvis x reader

summary: elvis and you have been secretly seeing each other and hiding it from everyone, including his girlfriend. but with him leaving to tour, he confronts you about wanting to be exclusive, not wanting you with other men while he’s gone.

warnings: mentions of sex, angst, some fluff, cheating

word count: 3k

note: i’ve been ABSOLUTELY blown away from the love i’ve been receiving on my last post. it’s feels totally unreal and i can’t thank everyone enough!! i’ve been trying to write up with something great to say thank you for all of the love i’ve been getting but i’ve been struggling with ideas as always. so i wrote this, it’s definitely not my best but i wanted to post it anyways. i’m high as fuck as i type this i tried to proofread but i’m sure there’s still some mistakes but i’ll get to that tomorrow. if anyone wants a part two to this lmk!!! also again, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for all of the love!! <3333

part two here!

“y/n! elvis is here,” you heard your mother yell from down the hall.

a few seconds later, you heard your bedroom door opening from behind you. you turned on the stool of your vanity to find elvis in a pink suit and a blue lace shirt underneath.

“hi, handsome,” you smiled as he closed your bedroom door and made his way over to you.

“hey, beautiful,” elvis leaned down to place a short kiss to your lips.

“this is a nice surprise,” you grinned as you turned around to resume your makeup.

“yeah, uh… darlin, i hope it’s alright. was gon’ call but i figured i’d just come by,” elvis said, sitting down on the end edge of your bed.

“of course it’s alright,” you started, turning to check the clock on your nightstand, “i just gotta get to work in about an hour.”

“want me to drive you?,” elvis politely offered as he always did.

“no honey, it’s okay. mama is gonna let me drive her car since i’ll be back before she has to go into work in the morning,” you responded.

the two of you made casual small talk for the next few minutes but you could tell there was something on his mind.

“the colonel man that i told you about… he wants me to join the hayride tour,” elvis spoke with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

“that’s amazing, baby!,” you paused, looking at his reflection in the mirror of your vanity. elvis was fiddling with his hands and staring at them which you noticed. “or is it not?,” you questioned, laying the lipstick that was in your hand down as you turned around to look at him.

“it’s just that… i’ma be gone for a while,” elvis said quietly, finally looking up from his hands. his eyes met yours as worry pondered on his face.

“how long?,” you asked, trying to hide the disappointment in your voice and facial expressions. it was selfish for you to be upset over the boy leaving you but you were still proud he was finally getting some of the recognition he deserved.

“month or so,” elvis murmured, his eyesight moving away from yours and back to his hands.

you had met elvis about three months ago. him and his bandmates came into the diner that you worked at one late night. you were working the night shift so you didn’t really expect anyone to be coming in.

you noticed how handsome the boy was the moment you saw him walk through the door. so you perked up a little when you went to take the men’s order.

“hi, my names y/n. what can i get y’all started with for drinks?,” you smiled as you placed 3 menus down on the table.

“um… i think we’ll all have a coffee,” the handsome one spoke up, his eyes lingered on you shortly before looking over to the men that sat in front of him.

“okay, i’ll have that up for y’all shortly,” you said politely, turning from them but glancing back to see the pretty one’s eyes looking your backside up and down. his glance shot away once he saw you were looking at him.

you eventually took their food orders, returning with their food a few short minutes after. you noticed how chatty they were for it to be two in the morning.

you returned to refill their coffee cups, making small talk with the three of them. they were good company to you since the only other person in the diner was the older cook whose only words to you were yells of demand.

“well, why don’t you sit down with us? doesn’t look like you’ve got many customers waitin’ on ya ‘round here…,” one of the men said while looking around the empty diner.

so you did, you slid into the seat beside the one you had been eying for the past 20 minutes. you learned a bit about the three of them. they introduced themselves as bill, scotty, and elvis. you had heard elvis’s name around town a few times but you never put any thought to it.

they told you about their group, elvis being the voice of it. scotty and bill were more talkative than elvis who you thought may have been sleepy or a bit shy. you conversed with them for what only seemed like 10 minutes but you looked up to the clock to see an hour had passed.

elvis had started to talk as much as the other boys to you, if not more. you enjoyed talking to him the most. you could’ve listened to him talk all night but another group of people walked in.

“it was really nice talking to y’all and i hope to see the three of you again. y’all are welcome to stay as long as you please but i’m gonna run and get the bill for whenever y’all are ready,” you smiled, slipping out of the booth. elvis’s blue eyes followed you as you walked away once again, a little less shameful this time.

you took the other table's drink orders before going behind the counter and writing up the bill for three boys. you thought on it for a second before writing your number down on the back of the bill along with your name.

you returned to the table, sliding the bill to elvis with a small smile.

“do y’all need anything before ya’ leave? a coffee to go?,” you asked, avoiding the handsome boy's face as he read the back of the bill.

“no, thank you. you have been a wonderful server though,” bill smiled, nodding to you.

“i appreciate it,” you spoke, turning to walk away before elvis could say anything to you.

“thank you, miss y/n,” elvis’s voice caught you, making you spin around. you gave one last polite smile, your heart pounding in your chest as you walked away.

after that night, to your surprise and disappointment, you didn’t hear from him for a couple of days. until one late night, he caught your eye as he walked into the diner, by himself this time.

he explained that his mother had washed his pants that had the bill receipt in the pocket. he went looking for it the day after he had met you and found it shredded in the laundry machine.

the story made you giggle but you still wondered why it had taken him days to come back and see you, which you asked.

much to your dismay, he told you he had a girlfriend named dixie. you were disappointed until he told you that he hadn’t stopped thinking about you since the night he left the diner. elvis clarified that he and dixie, while they were still together, they were kind of on the outs since his career had picked up and he’d like to start spending time with you.

you agreed and ever since that night, you’d seen the boy almost every day. you had learned almost everything about him as he’d come over to your house after he got off of work, spending a couple of hours with you before your night shift started.

whenever elvis was around, you never thought about dixie but when he left, you felt guilty. you had never been the type to pursue a boy with a girlfriend. the two of you hadn’t gone farther than kissing because of dixie being at the back of both of your minds.

sometimes your emotions turned from guilty to jealously whenever you thought of her. she got to go to his apartment to see him whenever she wanted, be around his family whenever she wanted, kiss him- touch him… whenever she wanted. and she didn’t have to hide it. she wasn’t his secret.

elvis didn’t like when you brought up her name. he didn’t want to focus on anyone or anything but you when he spent time with you. a month into whatever you wanted to call what the two of you had going on, you nervously asked if elvis thought he would ever break up with her.

elvis told you that he would eventually but he didn’t want to break her heart right now… but that was two months ago now. they weren’t doing well in the first place but elvis just didn’t have the heart to tell her, they’d been together for two years.

you stood up and walked over to sit beside elvis on the edge of your bed. you grabbed his large hand in yours, making him turn his attention to you.

“your mama okay with it?,” you asked knowing his mother was very protective of him from the things he had told you about her. you could tell elvis loved his mama more than anything and you presumed she loved him just as much.

“i mean… she ain’t happy ‘bout it at all. but she wants more people to hear me and watch me perform so she’s agreed to it,” elvis explained, your thumb running up and down his hand to comfort him.

“then what’s the problem, honey?,” you asked with concern in your voice. you wondered why he wasn’t bouncing off the walls with excitement. all he’s ever wished for was for his music to prosper and to spoil his family and you with the money that comes from it.

“i’on wanna leave you,” elvis whispered, his blue eyes boring into yours.

you shook your head with a small comforting smile on your lips, “honey, you know i’ll miss you and all… but i’ll be right here when you get back. this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, you’d be stupid not to take it.” you shifted a little on the bed, bringing your knee up between the two of you so you could sit comfortably.

“i know, darlin’. but i’m scared,” elvis spoke, his eyes once again looking away from you.

“hey,” you brought your hands to his chin, bringing his face up to look at you. “you’re a great performer, elvis. i know it and apparently so does this colonel fellow. you ain’t got nothin’ to be afraid of.”

“that ain’t the reason, y/n,” elvis paused, you raised your eyebrows, signaling for him to explain. he continued, “i know you’re not my girl, technically. but i still don’t want no man trying to sweep you out from under my feet while i’m out of town.”

you took in his words, trying to process them. is he trying to tell you he wants to be exclusive while he’s already got a girl waiting for him at home? it didn’t make any sense to you.

while you hadn’t been seeing other people because you didn’t really have the time to with your schedule… you also hadn’t even thought about seeing another man since you met elvis. but him implying he wanted you to drop that possibility just didn’t sound fair to you.

“elvis… i- i don’t know if i get what you’re trying to say,” you nervously looked at the wall behind him as you dropped his hand, bringing yours to lay on your knee.

“y/n, i want you… i only want you. i want you to be my girl,” elvis laid his hand on top of yours. his words sounded genuine, they really did but you still didn’t know what to think. your mind ran straight to dixie.

“i… i can’t keep waiting on you… what about dix-,” you started, looking back to his concerned face but he cut you off.

“i’ll break up with her when i get back from the tour. i’on wanna do it right now because it’ll cause a lot of drama at home before i leave… but i promise you, i’ll do it,” elvis pleaded, his hand now gripping yours.

you wished you could look into his pleading blue eyes and tell him he needed to go ahead and end it, but you couldn’t.

“i- i don’t know, elvis… y’all have been together for a while. i don’t want to be the cause of this,” you stuttered out the first part.

you were officially going to be a home-wrecking whore if you said yes. all the times you’d imagined this conversation in your head, you had jumped to say yes. thoughts clouded your mind and elvis could tell by the pondering look on your face.

elvis’s other hand snaked around your back, scooting closer to you. his hand that had been placed on yours was now running up and down your arm.

“can i tell you something?,” elvis asked, your head shooting him up to look at him. you softly nodded, not knowing what was about to come out of the boy's mouth next.

elvis went quiet for a few seconds before speaking, “i don’t kiss her anymore. when she kisses me, i obviously have to kiss her back but it’s always short. every second that my lips are on hers, all i can think about is you. but when i kiss you… it’s different. hell, i haven’t made love to her since the day before i met you at the diner…,” elvis revealed, your mouth hung open for a few seconds as you took all of the new information in.

relief shouldn’t have washed over you at the sound of those words but it did. the fact that he had kept himself from pleasure the same as you had the past three months was comforting somehow.

“you’re uh… you’re telling the truth?,” you asked with worry in your small voice, his face coming closer to yours.

“wouldn’t ever lie to you, baby,” elvis’ lips ghosted over yours as he whispered.

you began to stop thinking with your heart and started thinking with your hormones that had built up inside of you for three months.

you shook your head at the thoughts that imploded your brain. elvis noticed the worried look on your face and was immediately concerned.

“what’s on your mind?,” elvis asked, pulling his face away from yours to await your answer.

“you doing-… just you…,” you mumbled, trying to push the ungodly thoughts out of your head.

“me doin’ what, darlin’?”

“you… touching me…,” your shy eyes studied him, trying to read him from his facial expressions.

his eyebrows shot up and a smirk appeared on his face.

“yeah?,” elvis’ hand that rested on your thigh began to move up it but you stopped him.

“we can’t. not until…,” you didn’t finish your sentence but he knew what you meant. you couldn’t do anything more until dixie was out of the picture, you reminded yourself over and over in your head.

“well…,” elvis began, his smirk dropping to a disappointed smile, “now i know what i’ll be thinking about for the next four weeks…,” elvis ended with a small chuckle.

the thought of him leaving you being brought back into your brain made you sigh. you playfully pouted your lip out to the boy which earned a genuine smile from him.

“it’ll all be worth it in the end. everything will be worth it in the end,” you reassured him, on a more serious note, grabbing his hand.

“i know it will,” elvis brought your hand up to his mouth, placing a small kiss on it.

“when do you leave?,” you asked, finally realizing you he hadn’t mentioned it to you.

the small smile left elvis’ face as he responded, “tomorrow morning.”

you heartbeat sped up, not thinking he was going to be leaving so soon. your gaze dropped to your lap as tears formed in your eyes.

“hey, hey,” elvis heard a whimper leave your lips before he pulled you closer to him so you were buried into his chest.

“i’ll be back before you know it. i’ll call you every day. i’ll even call you before i leave in the morning. when i get back… everything will be different. i’ll be able to introduce you to my folks, take you everywhere with me… i ain’t leaving your side when i get back, okay?” elvis rubbed up and down your back as his other hand came under your chin, bringing it up to look at him.

“okay…,” you sniffled out. elvis pressed a kiss to your forehead before your head returned to his chest. the both of you sat in silence as you listened to the patter of his heartbeat for a few minutes.

“i love you.”

elvis finally said the words he had been wanting to say since the first month you spent together.

you slowly raised your head to look at him, you noticed the small tears in his eyes as well.

“i love you,” you smiled, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

#austin butler #austin butler elvis #austin butler fic #austin butler smut #elvis movie #elvis imagine #elvis austin butler #elvis x reader #elvis presley #austin x reader

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seishuswife · 11 months

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Three Times Feelings Went Unspoken, and the One Time It Was (Bucky/Reader)

Cross-Posted on my AO3

[Main Masterlist] | [Marvel Masterlist]

Probably my favorite trope, wrote this one so long ago tho!

Warnings: fluff, fluff, more fluff

++The First Attempt++

Bucky Barnes paced back and forth in his room, rehearsing the words he wanted to say to Y/n, his heart pounding with nerves. He had developed strong feelings for her, but every time he tried to confess, his tongue would tie itself into knots. Tonight was going to be different.

As the team gathered for a casual movie night, Bucky found himself sitting next to Y/n, their shoulders occasionally brushing against each other. Gathering his courage, he turned towards her, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Y/n, there's something I've been meaning to tell you," he stammered, his palms sweating. But before he could continue, his mind went blank, and his words failed him. Y/n looked at him curiously, waiting for him to continue, but all he could manage was a weak smile with a slight shake of his head and turned his attention back to the screen.

++The Second Attempt++

A week passed, and Bucky couldn't stop thinking about his missed opportunity. Determined not to let his nerves get the best of him, he invited Y/n to a quiet coffee shop. As they sat across from each other, sipping their drinks, Bucky took a deep breath.

"Y/n, I... I've been wanting to tell you something," he began, his voice trembling slightly. But once again, his anxiety overpowered him, and he stumbled over his words. Y/n leaned forward, her eyes filled with concern.

"Bucky, take your time. I'm here for you," she reassured him. He managed a small smile, grateful for her understanding, but disappointment weighed heavily on his heart.

++The Third Attempt++

Bucky decided to take a more casual approach for his third attempt. He invited Y/n for a walk in the park, hoping the relaxed setting would ease his nerves. As they strolled together, admiring the scenery, Bucky mustered up his courage:

"Y/n, you know you mean a lot to me, right?" he asked, his voice sounding more confident. Y/n nodded, a gentle smile on her face, encouraging him to continue. However, just as the words were about to leave his lips, his fear gripped him once more, rendering him speechless. Instead, he settled for a sigh, small smile, and yet another slight shake of his head, feeling even more frustrated with himself.

++The Fourth and Final Attempt++

Time passed, and Bucky couldn't escape his feelings for Y/n. He knew he couldn't keep hiding them forever. Seeking advice, he turned to his best friend, who listened patiently.

"Buck, sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith," Steve said, giving Bucky a reassuring pat on the back. Emboldened by his friend's words, Bucky decided it was time to make his final attempt.

He invited Y/n to a quiet rooftop, their favorite spot to watch the city lights. As they sat side by side, Bucky took her hand, his heart pounding in his chest. "Y/n, I've been trying to tell you something for a while now, and I don’t think I can keep it to myself any longer," he confessed, his voice steady and determined.

Y/n's eyes widened with anticipation as she squeezed his hand. "Bucky, what is it?" she asked softly.

Taking a deep breath, Bucky looked into her eyes and finally let his feelings flow. "I'm in love with you, Y/n. You're the most incredible person I've ever known, and I can't imagine my life without you. I understand if you don't feel the same way, but I just need to be honest with you."

Silence enveloped them as Y/n processed Bucky's confession. Slowly, a smile crept onto her lips, and she reached out to cup his cheek. "Bucky, you have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear those words," she whispered, her voice filled with affection. Bucky's eyes widened in surprise, his heart skipping a beat.

"You... You feel the same way?" he asked, his voice barely audible.

Y/n nodded, her eyes shining with joy. "Yes, Bucky. I've been falling for you too, but I was too afraid to say anything. I'm glad you finally did."

Relief and happiness flooded Bucky's heart as he leaned in, capturing Y/n's lips in a tender, long-awaited kiss. In that moment, all the failed attempts and nervousness faded away, replaced by the warmth of their happy love.

#bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes/reader #bucky/reader #the winter soldier #marvel/reader

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mandos-mind-trick · 11 months

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BobaDin A/B/O Teaser

Read part 1 of the full fic here!!!

Summary: Boba and Din met before his fall into the Sarlacc pit, after Din was stranded during his heat with no suppressants. They parted ways after, both of them content to pretend it never happened, except that's not possible for Din. Boba tracks Din down, only to find he's in for a surprise when he meets the omega Mandalorian once more.

Pairing: Alpha Boba Fett x omega Din Djarin

Warnings: A/B/O universe, implied mpreg, Boba's kind of a softie in this part at least, very AU post Mando season 2, fluff and cuteness but also kind of sad, named child character cause plot.

A/N: I posted this a few months ago but took it down after it kinda flopped. There's been some renewed interest in it today so I've decided to repost it. There's a post on my page regarding the universe this exists in and some background. I was in a mindset when I wrote this and I am very sorry. Also kind of cuts off awkwardly at the end cause I just...stopped writing at that point.

@rosechi and those anons from earlier made me do it.

He holds her close, closer than he ever has. All the times he had left her, all the times he had been forced to leave on hunts was nothing compared to the last few days. She had been taken from him by someone who wouldn’t think twice about hurting her. He had been careless leaving two children alone like that. He had been thankful at first that she hadn’t just been killed. Perhaps Gideon had thought it would only hurt him more if he took both of them.

He had done what he promised he’d do. He had rescued both of them, and he had gotten Grogu back to his kind. Still, there is an ache in his chest, a hole forming as Grogu gets further and further away. As much as he wants to curl into himself, let his instincts take over, he has a pup to support. A distressed pup who had just lost a member of her aliit.

He sinks into one of the seats, holding her tight against his chest. He lets his helmet drop to the floor, uncaring if the other two in the ship come down and see him. He’s projecting his scent a bit, trying to calm his pup. It’s a bit dangerous with an alpha close by, but he can’t care. His pup needs him.

“Shh.” He shushes her, pressing her face against his neck.

“I m-miss him.” She cries, clinging to his cloak.

“I know.” He says. “Remember what we talked about? Grogu had to go back to his kind. To his own aliit.”

“But he’s our aliit.”

“Only for a little while, remember? Until we found where he belonged.”

She continues to cry and he can do nothing but let her. It pains him to scent her distress, but she needs to let it out. The best he could do is offer her comfort.

She cries herself to sleep, still clinging to him. He leans his head back, trying to process the last couple days. It felt like a fever dream. He had been so scared, so desperate to get them back, to make sure they were safe. He’s exhausted.

Boba climbs down the ladder a while later. Din had put his helmet back on, needing to feel secure. Needing to feel safe. The alpha sinks into the seat next to him, removing his helmet with a sigh.

“How is she?” He asks, glancing sideways at the pair.

“Upset.” Din answers.

Boba hums. “Losing a family member is never easy.” He looks at Din. “How are you?”

“I’ll manage.” He answers shortly.

Boba stares at him for a long moment. “What will you do now?”

Din sighs. He had been trying not to think about that. What is going to happen now? He’d finished what he had been tasked with. Did he go back to hunting? It would be hard with Vira. He didn’t want to start leaving her for long periods again. Not after spending so much time with her. His instincts screamed at the idea of being parted with her again. Did he try to track down a covert? Take his place among Mandalorians once more? “I don’t know.” He finally answers honestly. “I haven’t thought that far ahead.”

“Join us.” Boba says. “We’re going back to Tatooine. I’m going to take over Jabba’s palace, become Daimyo. Come with us. Let me spend some time with the pup I didn’t know existed.”

Right. This was his pup as well. He’s not sure how he could forget. She looked just like him. Perhaps because it was a bit unreal still.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Boba asks after a moment of silence.

“I tried looking for you after she was born. Everyone I found said you were dead.”

Boba leans back in his seat once again. “I almost was. I never thought...” He shakes his head. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have-”

“It’s alright. I’m not sure I would have made it had you not been there.” Din adjusts his hold on Vira, easing her into a more comfortable position. “I wouldn’t trade her for anything.”

Boba stares at her, able to see her face from the new position. A small smirk forms on his face, a quiet chuckle leaving him. “Those Fett genes are strong.”

Din can’t help but smile under his helmet. “There’s no doubting it.”

Boba smiles. “I’m serious.” He lets his eyes flit to Din’s helmet. “Come with us. Let me take care of you. Both of you.”

Din leans his head back against the seat. Boba’s words strike something deep in him, all his repressed instincts flooding to the surface. He had been on his own for so long. Forcing himself on suppressants, holding every alpha he came across at arm’s length. He did it for himself, and he did it for Vira.

Was this his chance to take a load off his shoulders? To share in carrying that weight of his instincts and his pup? Fett had proven himself loyal and trustworthy over and over again. Vira was his pup. He could take her if he wanted, and force them apart. Din knows he won’t. Boba knows how much family means to Mandalorians. Boba was offering them a place of belonging, a home. He would care for his pup, and Din as the bearer of his pup.

Din doesn’t realize he’s crying, quiet gasps crackling through his modulator. Boba is crouched beside him, hand on the back of his neck. It’s not a cruel touch, it’s not a scruff like some alphas would do to control an omega. It’s comforting. Grounding.

“Let me help you.” He says softly, thumb stroking the column of his throat. The touch is jarring, after so long without any touch at all.

“I owe you so much already.” Din gasps out, the tears not stopping.

“You don’t owe me anything.” Boba says. “I would have helped you even if she wasn’t my pup. If you think you need to repay me, do it by coming with us.”

Din closes his eyes, letting himself just feel. He hadn’t been this close to an alpha in six years. He never thought he’d see Boba again, much less be working with him. He knows the restraint it must have taken for Boba not to march onto the cruiser and take out Moff Gideon himself to get his pup back. The pup he hadn’t known existed until just a couple days ago. He knew Din was the one who had to do it, was the one who had to protect his aliit.

Boba could be aliit too.

It would be so easy to let him in, to give over to instinct. He had been carrying the weight for so long. How nice it would be to let go for once.

*****

He wakes in a bunk. For a moment he forgets where he is, what had happened. He’s back on the Crest, tucked into his bunk, the place that had been his home for years. But the Crest was destroyed. He had been on Boba’s ship, heading wherever after he had rescued his ade.

He doesn’t remember falling asleep, or even moving to the bunk. Boba’s scent floats around him, muted a bit by his helmet. He resists the urge to take off his helmet, bury himself in the scent. Instead he turns on his side, the blanket that had been tossed over him falling to the floor. Something feels off as he lays there in the silence.

Vira.

He sits up so fast his helmet hits the top bunk, but he ignores the vibrations rattling his head. He hits the button on the wall, light flooding the small space as he steps out, eyes searching the ship for his pup.

He doesn’t have to look long, finding Fennec standing in front of one of the viewports holding her. She’s staring out at the blue of hyperspace, eyes open wide and mouth agape. Din breathes a quiet sigh of relief, approaching the beta and his pup.

Vira turns to him, a big smile on her face. “Look, buir!” She points out the viewport.

He turns to look, eyes trailing over the giant creatures. “Purgil.” He says.

She stares at them in awe, Fennec eyeing him. “Don’t work yourself up.” She says. “She was getting squirmy. You need the rest.”

“I didn’t take you for the nurturing type.” He says.

The beta gives him a look. “I’m not.” But the way she looks down at Vira says otherwise.

“Will you be okay for a few more minutes?” He asks.

“I suppose.” Fennec says, motioning for him to go ahead.

Din climbs up the ladder to the cockpit, quietly sinking into the passenger seat. He stares out at the blue of hyperspace for a moment, watching it flash by.

“We’ll be dropping out of hyperspace near Tatooine shortly.” Boba says, his gaze facing forward as well.

“If I come with you, what exactly do you expect?” Din asks, trying to put his thoughts into words. He feels vulnerable in the presence of the alpha, even though Fett was nothing but relaxed.

“I’ll need your help.” Boba says honestly. “Taking Jabba’s seat will be easy. Getting Mos Espa to agree will be the hardest. There will be a lot of pushback, I expect, not just from the families. The Hutts will have their own opinions. I need muscle, someone to back me up.”

“It sounds dangerous.” Din muses.

“It will be, at least at first.” Boba agrees. “I wouldn’t blame you for saying no.”

“And Vira? I can’t afford to put her in more danger.”

Boba turns to face him, and though Din can’t see the look on his face, he can feel the change in the alpha. “I may not know her, but I promise I will give my life to protect her.”

“And me?” Din says quietly, his brain starting to buzz under the intensity of the alpha. “What do you expect from me?”

“Nothing.” Boba says, turning back around. “It would be your decision. If you want suppressants, I’ll be sure we have extra. You’re always welcome at my side, even if it’s nothing more than as an ally.”

******

Fett had been right. Taking Jabba’s palace had been easy. Despite Din’s insistence, Boba had forced him to stay on the ship with Vira as he and Fennec went in and cleaned house. Din is quietly grateful for the moment of rest. He feels weary, a type of weary he hasn’t felt in a long time. He could have forced himself to do it, but he can feel the exhaustion deep in his bones as he sits on the floor of the ship.

It’s the same weary he had felt when he had been stuck without his suppressants. The same weary he’d felt after he’d had Vira. The same weary he’d struggled with after he decided to leave her in the care of the covert and returned to bounty hunting.

He needs an alpha.

His omega yearns for an alpha.

He has an alpha.

Boba had been forward in his implications. He would take that position, if Din wanted it. It wasn’t that Din didn’t trust Boba. He owed a lot to the alpha. Boba had been the one that found him stranded without suppressants, half dead after being thrown into his first heat in years. Boba had cared for him, fought against every instinct telling him to sink his teeth into Din’s shoulder, and got him on a ship back to civilization.

He had also, inadvertently, given Din a pup.

Vira had been born not long after the fall of the Empire. Din had waited a year and a half before he began his search, traveling all the places the bounty hunter frequented. He heard the same thing over and over, that Boba was dead. Fell into a sarlacc pit on the very planet they were on currently. Din had given up his search not long after he started.

He knew he’d likely raise Vira by himself. If he had found Boba, he’s not sure what the bounty hunter’s reaction would have been. He could have taken Vira for himself, raised his pup as he had the right to do. Din had wrestled with that idea, but had ultimately decided to seek out the alpha, if nothing more than to just tell him he has a pup. He deserved to know. It was why he didn’t hide the truth from him on Tython.

He could have lied. He could have easily claimed Vira as someone else’s.

No, he couldn’t have, he thinks as he stares at the pup seated on the floor between his legs, pushing Grogu’s ball back and forth. He runs a hand over the unruly, thick curls that were messily pulled back into a bun. She looks up at him with those deep, dark eyes. She’s practically a carbon copy of Boba.

A clone.

She grins up at him, cheeks dimpling. That was his, or at least he thinks so. He’s never actually seen Boba smile.

Despite the grin, she looks tired. He knows she has to be, just looking at her. Fennec had been right, calling her squirmy. She’d always been wild, always been on the move. He’d constantly heard it when he returned to the covert. She’s smart, but she can’t sit still.

Normally she would have been all over the ship, exploring, getting into things. A chord of fear runs through him for a moment, something he hadn’t thought of in the whirlwind since they’d been taken. He knew the Empire needed Grogu for some sort of experiment they were doing.

What if they did something to her?

There wasn’t anything they could possibly need from her. Unless they tested something on her? He wouldn’t put it past Gideon to try and make him pay for taking Grogu not once, but twice.

He can’t fight it, the building anxiety deep in his stomach. He feels like he’s spiraling out of control, like a ship about to crash. Vira’s smile falls as she senses the distress welling in her bearer.

Din jumps as a hand lands on his shoulder. His fists close around the fabric of his pants, trying to steady himself. Boba is kneeling next to him, a hand on his shoulder.

“Easy.” Boba soothes him, gently squeezing his shoulder. “What’s got you all worked up?”

“What...what if Gideon did something to her?” He asks, looking down at Vira who is watching them cautiously.

“We can’t know for sure that he didn’t.” Boba says, turning to look at Vira. “How do you feel, ad’ika?”

She shrugs. “Okay. Sleepy.” She rubs her eyes.

“See,” Boba says, helping him stand. “She’s fine. You need rest. Both of you do.”

Din leans down, lifting Vira into his arms. Boba was probably right. They couldn’t know if Gideon did something to her. If it was anything of consequence, they’d have to wait and see if anything happens. He doesn’t want anything to happen. The thought of something happening to her because of his own recklessness has his stomach churning. He feels like he could be sick.

“Come on.” Boba leads him forward with a hand on his back. “We’ve cleared out the upper rooms. Most of it was empty. Seems like most of them fled when Jabba died. Fortuna managed to keep a skeleton crew. We’ve cleared out most of them.”

“I should be helping.” Din says, trying to distract himself from the panic building within him.

“You can help by resting.” Boba says, leading him up the steps. “Like I said, this is the easy part. I need you at your best when the real fight begins.”

**********

Despite his exhaustion, Din lays awake in bed. The sheets are clean, having been brought up by a droid, along with a clean change of clothes for Vira. She had fussed through a bath and dinner before Din let her sleep. The new clothes were a bit big, but they worked. He’d need to pick up some supplies soon. Everything he’d owned had been destroyed.

Din had taken a bath himself after Vira finally fell asleep. He was used to going long periods without being properly cleaned, but it felt nice to wash off the last few days. The worry still lingered, but in a way he felt like he could force it all down, forget the horrors that had gone through his mind.

His helmet sits on the ground behind him. He hadn’t been able to relax enough to take all his armor off. What if they had missed something? He can’t take that risk. Not right now. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to put the helmet back on. Not yet.

He scoots closer to Vira, letting the soft scent of pup invade his senses. He hadn’t done it often, not since he left her with the covert. He presses his nose into her hair, letting the gentle scent flow through him. It’s the best scent in the world, or at least he thinks so. The scent of a pup before they begin developing traits, before they present. So soothing it could loosen even the most steeled beta.

The scent calms the raging storm inside him. There’s nothing off about it, no change to it. It’s purely her, just as he remembered it being.

#star wars #star wars fic teaser #the mandalorian #book of boba fett #din x boba #bobadin

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graspingremlinhands · 4 months

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Happy 1st day of the year!!!

Mutuals, friends, people of the fandom and lovely Ghidzilla shippers( to anyone is accepted and cherished)

Here your Gremlin, at my 1.200 post to say hello to you and wish for you all the best things to come.

As for me my wish is that this would be the year I would finally start putting myself at work and share with whoever will be, my works (and the mind and heart, mostly heart behind them).

I have to thank the fandom for being the safe harbor during the pandemic. The wonderful people that inspired me and still does and the ones I feel I can call friends (@1giulia4 @the-fallen-starr love you guys)

Now it's time I give something back. While also grow as a writer to be always better.

Under the cut a little one-shot I wrote during the holidays.

Tw: The content gets a little suggestive, but not much. It's more implied that outright explicit.

So procede with caution, listen to your level of tolerance.

And Enjoy!!!

- We need to find a new story to tell people when they ask us how we got together- announced Ichi.

It was late in the morning, the sun was at peaking, its light pouring generously into their apartment's kitchen through the window.

Ghidorah sat right below it, in the breakfast nook adjiacent to the sink area. On the table, was a magazine that had only been skimmed through while the hydra waited for his interlocutor’s answer.

No answer followed, the only noises in the air was the chop-chop of the knife on the cutting board and the oil sizzling in the pan.

Slicing onions, peppers and celery was no one but Godzilla, their sweetheart of three years, of which one they’re been living together.

The saurus gave no indication of having heard them; he took the cutting board that now ,looked more like the palette of a painter and throw the contents in the boiling pan, the high splashes of oil captured by the warm light that came from the cooker hood.

All under their 3 pairs of eyes they observed, delighting in the sinuous line that Goji’s tail drew in the air.

Ghidorah stretched on the heated surface of the table, until the tension cracked away from his back. Uh, maybe it was time to get back to do stretching in the morning.

Godzilla kept ignoring them and cooking, now stirring the sizzling vegetables with a wooden spoon.

He then opened the fridge and took out a transparent plastic bag, containing large pieces of rosy meat, chicken probably as San pointed out through their telepathic link.

Now he was rummaging through the tool drawer, filling the air with the rattle of the steel cuterly- What happened to the meat tenderizer? - he asked them.

- We’re holding him hostage until you give us your answer- replied San jokingly.

He turned toward them and looked at them deadpan; shooking his head and mumbling something; then he lowered the flame under the vegetables and approached the sink, looking over it.

- I don’t see why we should. It’s a funny story, and it's true.-

He paused for a moment, as if he wanted to create suspense, or give sacredness to the thing- I’m fond of that story, you know. We wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t been for that. So, do you really want to give it up? - he concluded before returning to the stove.

The brothers looked at each other; it was not easy to associate Godzilla with something romantic, nor he looked the part.

And yet, one how the many things that has surprised them, the more they knew each other, was that Goji actually cares. For the most banal, small, easy-to ignore things. He hold those things to the highest regard and he gets protective over them.

Just like he was doing now.

Ghidorah put a hand to their heart.

They had read, not long ago, about a research, which estabilished that when in a relationship, the partners' hearts begin to beat at the same frequency, almost tuning in.

A belonging without compulsion, natural. A bit like the course of their and Goji’s relationship.

It had developed in a way so natural, like dominoes falling into place.

But the kick-off have been... awkward.

They slipped out of the breakfast nook, turn around the sink and placed themselves behind Godzilla. He was pounding the meat with a ladle wrapped in a cloth. He was ignoring them again. This wouldn’t do.

They stretched their arms behind their back, as if they were to start a set of weights before threw them around Godzilla, enveloping him in a strong embrace; operation a little complicated because of the spikes on his back, but they have grown accustomed to them in time.

Which rose is without thorns after all?

Godzilla found himself stuck, his arms pinned down, while the ladle still in his hand. There was no risk he was going to hit them with it, but never say never. Better act fast.

- We love that story, don’t misunderstand us- said Ichi nuzzling his cheek. -But in short-

- We make ourselves look like totally idiots - echoed Ni.

- And it’s not great when you introduce yourself to someone new. Remember the Christmas party at Anguirus? People were refraining themselves from laughing in our faces- concluded San.

- I don’t see the problem- argued Godzilla, trying to loosen the grip of Ghidorah- My vegetables are gonna burn, we can talk about it, like never again? -

In response, Ghidorah loosened his grip, sliding a hand to caress his side. Under their touch they felt Godzilla shrudder gently, the hand holding the ladle trembling slightly.

- The problem is that, as we have already told you, it does not make us look good. And it seems to us that this makes you look bad in return- continued Ichi, their hand now moving down, to play with the elastic waistband of the shorts Godzilla was wearing.

San and Ni, instead, in perfect synchrony, had started to nuzzle and kiss his exposed gills.

Now Godzilla was panting, resting his weight completely on Ghidorah’s chest; the vegetables in the pan had turned brown.

Too bad he suffered from a severe case of stubbornness- Don’t be immature- he tried to reprimend them despite his shaking voice, - it’s just a story. If you let that stop you from winning the audience then... shit!!! -

Ichi’s hand had slipped a lot further down and was poking at something very sensitive, while with the other one they busied themselves with caressing and groping alla round his body.

At the nuzzling, they had replaced more lascivious kisses and bites (courtesy of Ni), on the throat and shoulders.

An orchestra of need, between groaning and sighing, Godzilla who moaned heartfely , holding with both hands at Ghidorah’s hips while they purred. The ladle had falled with a loud clank, completely ignored

Their hand, not the one busy ravaging in his underwear, now squeezed his throat, lifting his head, forcing Godzilla to look into Ichi’s eyes, darkened with desire.

- You’re really sexy when you’re stubborn- he whispered seductely- but I’m sure that once you listen to all our motivations, you’ll be much more open to our proposition- in the meantime they continued to touch him, making his body grow hotter and hotter.

Godzilla, for his part, had little intention of listening to anyone; he had far more urgent needs to be meet with at the time.

He could only mutter a faint- Pan- pointing to the stove where the vegetables were now blackened.

With a very quick movement for someone of their size, they pulled Godzilla up in their arms to carry him bridal-style and turned off the stove with a sharp movement.

And with the with their beloved they went into their bedroom, where they would plead their cause.

THE END.

If you are seeing this, thank you so much for reading this.

If you like, please consider leave a like or a comment. If you even reblog Thank you in advance. It would means a lot!!! To me, to keep the (digital) ink FLOWING!!!

If you don't, that's ok. I wrote this most catered around what I like.

But inappropiately mean or offensive comments will not be tolerated.

Nobody wins for having the best ship.

IT'S JUST A SHIP, NO REASON TO SHRED BLOOD OVER IT

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ryuichirou · 4 months

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Replies

More replies! Related to our posts from yesterday + a couple of JadeSil ones from a while ago.

Anonymous asked:

I guess Sebek will be annoyed on waking up in the morning with Silver only to realized animals are around.

lol yeah, imagine falling asleep with Silver and waking up to that one scene from Bambi where all the animals greet the new prince. Things Sebek has to get used to….

hipsterteller asked:

Welp at least they didn’t find a skeleton

You mean… under the birdies?! Spooky..!

Anonymous asked:

Poor Jamil can't catch a break even at clubs.. (he secretly loves it, don't tell anyone lol he's shy)

- basketball poly asker

(this is related to a reply from yesterday)

Yeeeah, it’s probably better for Jamil when he gets pestered by these boys: this way he gets to have some action but also don’t proactively seek it out lol But of course the thought itself would never occur to Jamil! It’s all his subconscious mind.

Anonymous asked:

Hehe...imagine Azul seeing Jamil and Ace together. Another jealously alert. Even better, Jamil, Ace, and Floyd together.

Azul would get jealous with anyone who gets close to Jamil probably lol So with Ace it would be the same scenario as it is with Ruggie: he’s confused about Jamil’s choice and tries to win him over.

And with Floyd, well, Azul would just have to shut up and be patient and hope that Floyd gets bored of Jamil… because if he tells Floyd to stop, Floyd is just going to cling to Jamil even more :(

Anonymous asked:

Hi! I’m that JadeSil shipper from that one ask, is it okay if you can give some hcs on how would Silver’s first time would go if it was with Jade?

Anonymous asked:

I have Jade/Sil brainrot after seeing some other people talk about it…(and totally not because I am dirty minded)

What if one day Silver was eating Mushroom Risotto but it had a “special” mushroom (courtesy of Jade) which had an aphrodisiac-like effect. Silver eventually asks Jade for help on why he feels so weird…and you can imagine how the rest goes

Sorry it took me so long to reply, Anon! Or are you two different Anons..? In any case, I’m sorry for taking so much time and for not giving a satisfying answer: since these two aren’t a ship we’re very invested in, even though we like it in theory, I won’t come up with any headcanons, but I’ll share my thoughts…. Because when I started to think about their first time, the setup I came up with was pretty much the same as what was mentioned in this second ask lol

Since the main theme/motif of their relationship that I always think about is mushrooms, I think the whole thing will start with Jade’s fascination with Silver’s appetite for mushrooms and his appreciation of them. And for a very long time, he would simply feed him without adding anything suspicious to it, but then he’ll notice just how good Silver is at describing the differences between different kinds of mushrooms Jade uses for the risotto. So of course he’s going to be tempted to feed him a “special mushroom”…

Poor Silver would be so conflicted. He never expected to get poisoned, and Jade seems deeply concerned as well… but is he really? And would Jade really make such a mistake?

So yeah, long story short, Silver’s instinct would probably be to try to get back to his room and hide there until he gets better, but the poison is too strong, and with all his actions and words being just a big blur, he’ll end up having sex with Jade.

Jade is going to be surprised y Silver though, because while he knows that a lot of what’s going on is due to aphrodisiac (that was the whole idea), some of the things just seemed way too “natural”: Silver’s body is clearly used to having intense and lengthy sex, his movements are very intentional and he even has some noticeable preferences. Silver wouldn’t say a word during their first time (he just couldn’t articulate – he was too aroused), but his body language spoke volumes. Jade would probably be quite intrigued by him…

(whoops I guess I wrote it in a way that it isn't Silver's first time, I just noticed that...sorry!!)

#replies #jadesil

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unreadpoppy · 1 month

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The kids will be okay

Halsin x Tav (Gwen) + Natahlia and Reilyth

Read on AO3

Summary: Halsin struggles with his relationship with Natahlia, his step daughter.

A/N: I wrote this some weeks ago, it's basically Halsin x Gwen but focused on Halsin's relationship with his step daughter, Natahlia (She's Gwen's daughter btw). Post canon.

She had noticed in the afternoon, how Halsin was carrying a saddened expression throughout the day. Because of all the children they had to tend to, she didn’t find time to speak with him until night, after they had tucked all the little ones in bed and made their way to their own shared quarters.

“I didn’t think it was that noticeable.” Halsin sighed, sitting on the bed.

“For the untrained eye, it isn’t. But I know you too well.” She smiled, sitting next to him, a hand on his thigh. “Tell me what happened.”

“It’s Natahlia.” He breathed out. “She tripped and fell today, while playing with Reilyth. I rushed over to help, but she denied it. When I pushed a little, she screamed, saying I wasn’t her father and ran off.”

“Oh…” Was all Gwen could say. In truth, her first daughter was in a peculiar situation. She wasn’t Halsin’s child, but Raphael’s. At first, when the pair discovered who the father was, they tried to hide it from the cambion, but it did not last long. Soon, after she was born, the devil came knocking on their door, demanding to see his offspring. To Gwen’s surprise, Raphael smiled while holding the baby, wanting to participate in her education.

Soon, an accord had been made between the three adults. Natahlia would be raised with her mother and Halsin, but, from time to time, she would have to spend a few weeks in Raphael’s House of Hope. It wasn’t an ideal situation but it was better than the alternative - the devil snatching her up for good.

And although she wasn’t his, Halsin treated Natahlia as his own child. He talked to her the same way he talked to Reilyth, trying to teach her about nature and the world. Things had gotten tense, however, after Natahlia suffered an accident while in her father’s house, scarring her face. That had been months and she hadn’t visited Raphael since, becoming more closed off and hostile towards the others.

“I-I just, I don’t know what to do.” Halsin said exasperated. “I do not want to overstep, but she’s just a child and I can’t not worry.” He turned to Gwen. “I know she’s not my daughter, but I want her to have a happy childhood, a good life and a good fa-” he cut himself off before finishing.

Gwendolyn took his hands in her, kissing his knuckles. “I know it’s complicated, my love. She’s only six years old and she is in a very different situation than any of her friends. She’s beginning to experience a lot of different emotions that she doesn’t know how to handle.” She put her hand on his cheek. “You’re good for her. Give her some time, let her process things and then talk to her.”

The two touched their foreheads and closed their eyes. With a sign, Halsin was the first to move away, snuffing out the candles and preparing himself to sleep.

…

The sound of small footsteps entering their room was what awoke the couple. Halsin, being an elf, didn’t sleep, instead entering a state of meditation, allowing him to be aware of his surroundings at night. Gwen, ever since her first child was born, had become an extremely light sleeper.

With a snap of her fingers, the candles in their room were lit and they saw their daughter, Reilyth standing at the foot of their bed, a teddy bear in her arms and her face stained with tears.

“Reilyth, what happened, my love?” Gwen asked, as she quickly hopped of the bed to pick up the child in her arms.

The little girl sobbed as she told her mother. “Natahlia’s gone.”

“What?” Gwen frowned and looked at Halsin worriedly.

Reilyth sniffed. “I heard some noise and woke up and I didn’t see her anywhere.” She began crying again. “I’m sorry mommy, I don’t know where she went.”

“Shh, it’s ok.” She said, hugging Reilyth close to her chest, looking at Halsin, who was already halfway through the door.

“Stay with the children, I’ll go find her.” He said, before shifting into a bear and running into the forest.

…

While in this form, it didn’t take long for Halsin to track her smell, considering that bears had a better nose than humans. He ran until he could see a small figure in a clearing. She was laying on the ground, crying and Halsin quickly turned back to his usual self.

Approaching slowly, he said “Natahlia? Is that you?”

“It hurts!” She cried, and as Halsin got closer, he saw what the problem was. There was a nasty cut on her leg, blood pouring out of it. In an instant, he knelt next to her, his hand glowing as he cast a healing spell.

“It will be alright soon, just hang on a little longer.” He said to her, trying to comfort her. Natahlia looked in awe as the cut soon closed, her leg looking as if it had never been hurt before. “See? You’re good as new.” Halsin smiled at her.

Natahlia gave a sniff, wiping her cheek. “Thank you.” She said and then looked down at her hands. Halsin looked at her, worried.

“Are you alright?” He asked in a soft tone.

“Why does he have to be my father? Why couldn’t it be you?” She whispered, and then looked up at him, her eyes glinting with tears. Halsin could feel his own heart begin to break. “He’s never around, and he doesn’t hug me after I get hurt. It's not fair!”

Halsin began to connect the dots as her earlier outburst started to make more sense. When she said he wasn’t her father, it wasn’t to insult him - it was her trying to deal with the reality of it all.

The druid shifted his position, helping her get up, and then supporting himself on one knee, trying to get to her height. “I do not know why things are the way they are, why do the gods give us the parents we have or the hardships we face.” He put one finger underneath her chin, raising her head up. “But I know that we don’t need to face things alone. You have your mother, your sister, your friends and you have me.” He wiped a tear that fell down her cheek. “I promise I’ll always be here for you.”

At that, Natahlia threw herself into his arms, hugging him. Halsin enveloped her in his arms, comforting her, his hand petting her hair. “I’m sorry about what I said.” She said, looking up at him.

Halsin smiled and kissed her forehead. “All is well now.” He stood up, picking her up in his arms. “Now, let’s get back before your mother dies of worry.”

…

The moment she saw Halsin arrive, with Natahlia sitting on his shoulders, she ran to them, with Reilyth in her arms. She gave her to Halsin as he put Natahlia on the ground.

Gwendolyn knelt on the ground and hugged the girl tightly. “You gave me such a scare.” She checked the girl for bruises. “Are you hurt?”

Natahlia shook her head. “Daddy healed me.” She said, looking back at Halsin, who was holding Reilyth. “He made everything better.”

Gwnedolyn hugged her again. “I’m glad you're ok but never do this again, you understand me?” She told her and Natahlia nodded. “Now let’s get everyone back to bed.” Gwen stood up and held her daughter’s hand, Halsin trailing behind.

…

After kissing Reilyth on the head, he turned towards Natahlia. Tucking her in, he said “No more scares for tonight, promise?”

“Promise.”

“Good.” He leaned forwards and kissed her forehead. “Sweet dreams.”

Natahlia reached forwards and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for everything, daddy.” She laid down again and turned, closing her eyes. Halsin smiled as he made his way towards Gwen, who stood in the doorway.

She looked at him, smiling softly and placing her head on his chest, one of his arms coming around her waist, as she looked at their daughters.

Halsin sighed, relieved. “I think she’ll be alright.”

Gwen nodded, looking up at him and then pressing a kiss on his lips. “I believe so too. I think they’ll both be ok.” She moved away from the door, offering her hand. “Now, I think it’s our turn to receive some well deserved rest.”

#my writing #halsin bg3 #halsin x gwen #halsin x tav #halsin baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #oc: gwendolyn gray #oc: reilyth gray #oc: natahlia

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regardingjenmish · 1 year

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Just a tiny “review” of the new album

Okay so these are just some first thoughts I had while listening to the album. No, fr i just wrote it down on post it notes while listening so half of it probably makes zero sense

First thought: Jensen absolutely KILLED it on this album. Second thought: oh this is why it took so long because Jensen was busy working and this is a lot of Jensen. Lowkey his album ngl Right Kind of trouble: A little more vibey and chill than it was at the concert. Jensen obviously sounds amazing and the song is for sure still a favorite. I love the piano solo towards the end and when the song speeds up it becomes even better just like at the concert if that makes sense(?)

Forever ain’t long: Jensen, sir?!?!?!?! his voice is insane and I’m obsessed. I love this song and once again the piano/guitar solo makes the whole thing even better. The song is beautiful, it is a little slow but it’s amazing. And again HIS VOICE

Every Light: that’s Dean’s song idc I didn’t make the rules. I am still obsessed with the ‘booze and cheap tattoos’ lyric, especially because of how Jackles sings it. (also the violin in the back is perfect)

Ain’t no tellin: JENSEN??? The voice!!!! It has a really familiar vibe and i love it. His voice sounds fucking amazing (i swear this is a remark on every song and no one is surprised)

You made me blue: It’s a nice song, obviously a little sad and Steve is the one singing it..

Keep on ramblin’: Jensen bby.. at this point just give me a solo album please. I like the lyrics. It makes me think of something/a feeling that I can’t put a finger on right now. It kind of makes me think of just playing this song while you’re driving in the middle of the night with the windows down even tho it’s not that type of song im sorry idk how to explain it, i did say it won’t make sense

Sweet Escape: hey steve

Return to me: it’s a lovely song that’s more calm and it’s both of them so the vibe is pretty good. it does make me think of like a movie scene where people are slow dancing and someone is just about to leave in the middle of the night idk how to explain otherwise fjdhjfksjs

Restless man: Jensen???? sir, your voice is making me emotional!! I can’t handle this shit! the lyrics are also a little sad. I don’t know how else to explain except that it reminds me of a goodbye from a certain type of life? Nothing bad or sad, just that feeling when you realize a certain moment is ending or beginning idk leave me alone its 1 am however that could be me projecting bc im going through it jshdkjskd. When he sings ‘I found out long ago’ i fucking love the way he sings it, his voice sounds absolutely amazing are we really surprised. And I love the song, especially when it picks up a little bit.

Velvet sky: It’s a nice calm down to end the album especially after Jensen absolutely killed it. Steve is the one singing (Jensen joins in a little bit) and it’s pretty good song. good way to end it.

#radio company #jensen ackles #i absolutely love the album #i already have faves #and its definitely staying on repeat #which is a shock bc im not a big country fan #but jackles killed it with this one #also please note this was first thoughts that i put down while listening #so dont come for me that half of this makes zero sense #i gave yall a warning #but i love music and i love talking about it #so here

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bblgumgum · 2 months

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posting this uhhh liech and prussia drabble i wrote back in like 2020 ??

Liechtenstein couldn’t remember much about her days as a newly formed country, the earliest memory she could remember clearly was back when she lived in Mr.Austrias house. Although sometimes she’d get bits and pieces of blurred scenarios involving a man with red eyes who always smiled down at her and a young boy who would talk to her about nonsensical things.

There were also other people there along with them, they all seemed very close, like a family almost.

Sometimes she thinks that she sees Mr.Austria there with them, but even so she doesn’t want to think about it much.Even trying to make sense of those memories makes her head hurt .

—

Liechtenstein and her big brother had been invited by Mr.Austria to eat dinner with him while the we’re getting groceries.Halfway through their meal a strange man with white hair and crimson eyes appeared and began to poke fun at Mr.Austria.

She couldn’t help but laugh a bit when he started to point out all the strange things Mr.Austria did.

She could’ve sworn that she saw his smile get bigger as he heard her laugh...

—

Another one of what she assumes are her very first memories had appeared in her dreams once more.

This time the man with red eyes was easier to see, and to her surprise it was quite clear to her that the man was Mr.Prussia.

Tonight’s memory involved her and Mr.Prussia going through basic combat training with who she assumed were her other long gone allies during that point in time.

She didn’t know why but just hearing praise come from Prussia in her memory like dream filled her with a great deal of pride.

What she couldn’t wrap her head around was why she had called him big brother back then…

—

Liechtenstein spent the next morning trying to figure out what to do, should she tell Mr.Prussia about her strange dreams that could be memories? Should she tell big brother and ask him what to do? What if she asked Mr.Austria and Ms.Hungary, they’ve known Mr.Prussia for a long time right?

Instead she pushed the thoughts to the back of her head and began to work on her and big brother's garden while she waited for him to come back home.

She could’ve sworn that she saw something white run behind the house a few seconds ago...

—

A world meeting was being held in Switzerland this time around and after some convincing she was allowed to attend with her big brother.

He usually tried to go in her place to make sure other countries wouldn’t try to pursue her territory or convince her to do unnecessary trades.

As she walked into the meeting room she noticed that Mr.Prussia was sitting next to Mr.Germany.

She gave a small wave over to them and was surprised to see that Prussia had given her a strangely familiar smile.

She returned it with a smaller one as she went to take her seat in between her big brother and Mr.Austria.

Not noticing that his eyes never left her, as if he wanted to tell her something.

Why does it feel like I knew him way back then, maybe these dreams are really memories of mine…

—

After the meeting ended, as per usual from what she could tell from everyone’s nonchalant reaction to America having a chair thrown at his head, she had made way to talk to Prussia.

“Mr.Prussia, can I ask you something?” He gave her a small nod but not before muttering something about “how unawesome his little sister had gotten over the years.”

“Did you know me when I was a newly formed country? I apologize if it’s a sensitive question.” She took a deep breath before continuing,”It’s just that I’ve been having strange dreams but they feel more like memories to me than anything else, and you are in most of them.” After not getting a response she began to apologize for wasting his time.

Moving to leave she was stopped by the sudden hug that Prussia had given her.

As confused as she was she couldn’t help but smile as she was pressed against his chest, feeling being confusingly familiar to her as if she’d done this before.

“I’m so glad you finally remembered Eri, I’m so happy you remember me.I’d expect nothing less from my awesome little sister.”

There was only one thing she could seem to say to him.

“ it’s nice to see you again too, big brother.”

even if she didn’t really mean it.

#gummy.txt #hetalia #hetalia liechtenstein #hetalia prussia #idk i think about this drabble a lot #they mean a lot to me actually #please excuse the terrible writing i was like 16 and i don’t feel like re writing it

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nonexistent-introvert · 1 year

Text

Overthinking (Paper Stars 6)

Pairing: Joel Miller x f!reader

Word Count: 3.6k

Content: rants about romance, rants, hurt + comfort?, fluff, usual stuff, Joel has a soft spot for you,

A/N: I'm finally back and free! (not for long before exams catch up to me again). This chapter sort of wrote itself and may also be a rant idk. I have also just realized it has been exactly a month since I updated this series. My apologies. (This is also a repost sorry I was trying to edit my post but me being me accidentally deleted it instead )

Paper Stars Masterlist

GIF by loregifs

“It’s fine.” The last message from Joel has plagued your thoughts for the past hour. You furiously swiped the screen, hoping that the screen would refresh with a new message. The last time you truly saw him was literally the time when you had chased him out of your house. You had barely caught glimpses of him after that and the guilt that ate at your heart for treating him so harshly only seemed to grow with each cold shoulder he gave you. Joel had stopped giving you his usual smiles when he saw you and stopped coming up to you for a quick conversation. “Sorry, been busy.” Your eyes reread that message he had sent to you for the umpteenth time. Hell, you could recite this conversation out loud if anyone wanted you to. If you were any wiser, maybe you’ll realise that Joel has been avoiding you but you decided to trust him instead.

“Joel, I’m really sorry about the other day, fuck I feel real bad about it. I just hoped to be able to talk to you, face to face.” You reread that apology you sent him. Did you mess everything up with him again? It shouldn’t be a surprise, you tend to do that anyways. The jar of paper stars sat on the surface of the coffee table, mocking you.

==============================================

“That’s harsh Joel.” Tommy commented, scrolling through Joel’s chat. Joel harshly snatched his phone back from his younger brother, dropping to his seat with an exasperated sigh. “I mean, I suspected something when you decided to spend more time in the office but to her?” Tommy poked. “Drop it, Tommy. Hand me the proposal already.” Joel instructed. Tommy took the proposal he had tucked under his armpit and dropped it onto Joel’s desk. Tommy let himself drop into the seat opposite Joel, leaning against his arms that were behind his head. “Come on, fill me in.” Joel ignored Tommy, deciding to busy himself with the proposal in front of him. “Its not like you to be so harsh. At least not to her.” Tommy went on, spinning a stray pen that was on Joel’s desk. He leaned forward, a teasing smile on his face as he stared at his older brother. “Ah, the silent treatment. That what you been doing these days? To her?” Joel’s eyes finally snapped to meet Tommy’s. “I told ya to drop it didn’t I?” Tommy stifled a laugh, “That would have worked years ago. Using that card too many times seems to have dulled the fear effect on me”

Joel simply glared at him before deciding to focus on his proposal again.

“Fine, I’ll just ask her myself.” Tommy insisted, standing up to pull out his phone from his pocket while walking towards the office door of Joel’s office. The door slammed shut before Tommy even made it past the door. “Cut it out,” Joel warned again, having got out of his seat to close the door before Tommy could do anything. “Then spill,” Joel averted his gaze away from Tommy. “I don’t want to talk about it.” Joel couldn’t help but think it was so petty when he thought of voicing his thoughts to Tommy. “Something major must have happened. You were literally trying to pick up cooking despite your hectic schedule a few weeks ago. You were more smiley and easygoing since you saw her again and now you are back to the old boring grump.” Joel rolled his eyes,

“We just got different perspectives on some matters,” Joel stated plainly.

================================================

Having grew up in a family that was not very keen on forming attachments, you have learnt to be nonchalant and not have most things bother you. The literal reason for your family not getting a family pet like a dog was not even the usual heavy responsibilities reason. It may have been one of the reasons but you remember distinctly that the main reason was “When the dog’s time is up, it would be living hell. You wouldn’t want to go through that.” These were the exact words that your parents have told you. It had shaped how you grew up as a person too, having attachments to people only seemed to bring the most pain if they left you, you would rather be alone than have to go through that. You would rather not have formed that deep of an attachment in the first place.

You had always despised people who got into relationships headfirst, your first thought was always ‘what if it didn’t last?’, you watched your friends get into relationships with guys and saw how their relationships eventually end in failure. The reasons range from having lost that ‘spark’ to having different priorities in life. It all seemed so foolish, especially when you had firsthand seen how your friends cried over the people they once thought were the ‘love of their life’ when they seemed to never be able to get over their exes. It seemed so foolish and stupid to you, putting yourself in a vulnerable state over someone, not knowing if they felt as strongly as you. The probabilities and variables involved always showed that it was a losing game. The nickname ‘romance pessimist’ was given to you by your friends. It did hurt when some of your closest friends did not tell you about their relationships or open up to you about their own relationships in fear that you would judge them or not empathize with them but you that upon yourself anyways. Just like most things in your life, you just brushed that behavior off, that is also the reason why your phone is filled with contacts that you haven’t talked to for years, you tend to drift apart with people easily.

However, you would be lying if you said that you didn’t believe in love at all. In the oceans of bad relationship examples, there were good ones too. Relationships that made your heart flutter upon hearing them speak about their significant other, gestures that made your heart melt when you saw what they did for each other. Chemistry that seemed to bind two people in ways that science and logic cannot explain. It intrigued you to say the very least. While others' dose of romance came from pursuing relationships, yours came from fictional works and other successful relationships. Despite the cold exterior you had put up when it comes to romance, you were a sucker for it deep down. You were just afraid of the ‘what ifs’ in a relationship.

Joel Miller, he always seemed to break through that exterior of yours. When he picked up cooking to cook for you, when he changed into formal attire just to match you, and countless small gestures he did for you over the years only fed into your desires for romance. You forced yourself to suppress those desires but now, as you sat on the couch worrying if you had pushed him too far away. You knew that you had already became vulnerable when it comes to Joel. You knew when your thoughts spiraled around him. when you consistently thought and reflected on yourself. A friend once told you that being in love was like being delusional. You never know what the other person is thinking so you think about it until you eventually convince yourself the other person either thinks positively or negatively about you. You delude yourself into believing in that image of you despite what the other person believes.

You sat up with a sigh. What were you doing? Analysing his every reaction, wondering if he hated you, wondering if you had finally pulled his last straw. The logical part of you scolded yourself, gave yourself the same advice that you had given countless friends when they ranted about their relationship issues. “Stop overthinking.” You had never realised how useless that advice is until now. You put on your shoes and forced yourself out on a walk, leaving your phone in your home to avoid thinking about the matter any longer.

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Joel yawned as he waited at a red light. His eyes fell to the time that read 12.45am. The streets were dark and empty, anyone who took a walk now would be as foolish as the characters you see in horror movies. Not to mention, the dark and stormy clouds towering in the sky and the few raindrops that littered his windscreen.

Just as he finished that thought, the one person that would be foolish enough to do all this appeared in his hindsight. It was like a sign to Joel never to underestimate you. He massaged his temples in annoyance as he watched you stroll along the streets like everything he had just thought of did not apply to you. He always admired your nonchalant attitude, the shittiest things could happen to you and you could just smile and laugh it off, preferring to adapt than do anything about it. However, this was a circumstance where that attitude annoyed him. You never seemed to understand the concept behind getting a cold, since young, you have learned to embrace the rain rather than seek shelter. The countless times he had to drag you out of the rain to a shelter and nagged at you for splashing puddles of rainwater at him, especially that one time when you had intentionally stuck your hand out into the rain despite the shelter just so you could gather the rainwater to splash at him. He admitted that it had got onto his nerves, seeing the dirty stains on his pants from you kicking dirty rainwater onto him and getting wet despite being a shelter but the smile and happiness on your face seemed to melt away all the anger in him. Your smile was worth him spending an extra few minutes trying to scrub off the stains on his pants and the sneezing fit he got after.

Joel subconsciously smiled at the memories. He watched you, nagging internally at you when he realised you hadn’t brought an umbrella with you too. You were the only person he knew that treated umbrellas like the bane of your life. “It gets wet and what am I supposed to do with it? Hold it? I can’t even throw it back into my bag!” You always complained, opting to get drenched. A logic that he would never understand.

Joel drove slowly beside you, cursing slightly at your obliviousness as you continued to walk. If the roads weren’t empty at this time he would definitely be identified as a stalker or be considered as obstructing traffic. Honestly, if it wasn't for the circumstances now, he would have driven right away, still feeling rather hurt at your actions the other day. Well, he told himself that even if deep down he knew he would never just coldly drive past you. Joel lowered his car window, calling out your name. He groaned when you just continued walking, never even realising his truck beside you and that he was calling you. He pressed the horn in the spur of the moment, cringing slightly at the loud noise it made. He swore he could hear the people complaining and cussing him out for horning at this time. You finally snapped out of your daze, you jumped at the noise before your eyes caught sight of the familiar truck. Shit.

“Get in.” Joel grunted. You shook your head, “It’s ok.” you tried to brush him off. “It’s about to pour, get in.” At the mention of the rain, the rain got heavier and you cursed. “Joel, I’ll get your seats dirty.” You argued, feeling your clothes get pelted with raindrops. Joel rolled his eyes, hopping out of his truck. A gesture that took you by surprise. “What- Joel- you’re going to get wet!” You said. “I couldn’t care less about my seats right now and I’ll prove it by standing here with you.” “Joel, you’re a fucking maniac.” Joel raised his eyebrows, “Says the one who doesn’t ever bring an umbrella. Talk all you want, we’ll just get more drenched the longer we stand here.” You let out a frustrated groan, shoving past him as you got into his truck. Joel smirked, looking down to hide it before entering his truck again.

The silence between the both of you caught up real soon. Unlike the usual comfortable ones the both of you usually shared, this was tense. You looked out of the window, trying to ignore the uncomfortable energy suffocating the both of you in the truck. You eyed the radio in the car enviously, having some music would probably make this less torturing. Joel pressed his lips into a thin line, his eyebrows furrowed as he focused on the road ahead. The mature part of him was calling him childish for ignoring you until you decided to make the first move to talk but he was too stubborn to listen to it. In a way, you did make the first move, offering to talk, but he had rejected you with a cold lie.

“You wanted to talk didn’t you?” Joel broke the silence. You stared at him, pursing your lips. You definitely had, you even wrote a script in your mind on what to tell him but all the words seemed to have left your mind now that you were faced with him. “Or did I get you mixed up with Tommy?” He tried to joke, but he should have guessed the frown on his face didn’t facilitate in delivering it as a joke. “I did yeah.” You admitted. He kept quiet, waiting for you to continue. He snuck a glance at you when you took a little too long. “Sorry Joel, that is the main message. The rest of the words are just a mess in my mind.” You sighed, trying to sort your thinking out.

“Spit it out, anything. I’ll put them together for you.” You bit your lip upon hearing those words. It was just words, but it brought on a surge of positive mixed emotions. “It's just- I didn’t mean to push you away. I didn’t want to either. I- it just seems like a natural instinct to do that.”

“You didn’t want to burden me with your emotions.” Joel concluded for you. You nodded, you would never understand how he knew you so well. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel for a split second. “I’m not a goddamn mind reader you know?” You glanced at him, unsure of what to say to that.

“I respect that sometimes you need space, but then when I noticed that look on you. I just had to know what was going on in your head. I never wished to be a mind reader more than then. Scratch that, I want to be able to read your mind all the time. I want to know everything about you. So I genuinely don’t mind if you treat me like that diary you had in middle school. Hell, it’ll make me happy. You know I never was one for puzzles.” You smiled at his words, a warmth settling in your heart at his words. When you were young people used to say you talk too much, that you needed to know when to keep quiet, and that your topics of conversation were not interesting. Joel, you should have noticed his comments about you ever since young were the opposite. He never stopped you from talking, he enjoyed it even. Joel was never good with words, he preferred listening and seemed to let him do just that, making jokes and witty comments that can lift his moods on the darkest of days.

“That’s just creepy. Imagine if you knew what I thought of 24/7, and it was a journal, Joel. Not a diary.” You joked, you weren’t one for sappy words either. You just hoped he knew in his heart how much his words meant to you. A smile crept onto his face, he rubbed his beard with his hand. “Why? You got dirty thoughts?” “Worse than that.” He chuckled, “Yeah, I would know. I read your diary.” You hid behind your arm as you laughed, cringing slightly at the diary you used to have as a child. “Shut up, it’s a journal.” “‘Mrs. Jefferson needs to learn how to mind her own business and Jennifer inserting herself into random conversations does not make her more popular but annoying literally go back to your front seat and kiss ass.” Joel quoted. “Why do you still remember!” You placed your hands over your ears, cringing at his impersonation of the exact words you once wrote in a private journal until Joel Miller got his hands on it. “Because it was interesting. Only book I read that year, maybe that explains why I failed that literature test on Shakespeare.” Joel thought back, he would never consider himself to be academically smart. “Maybe huh. Just a slight chance you may have failed because you didn’t even do the necessary readings.” you shot back in sarcasm. Joel grinned, “Hey, you should be the next great writer! You literally beat Shakespeare in being more interesting.” “I literally failed most of my English essays because of ‘grave errors’ like expression and grammatical errors up until finals.” You said, thinking back on how your English teacher failed you by penalizing you on multiple occasions. “I’m sure Mrs. Jefferson would be pleased to find out your diary is one of New York’s bestsellers. With the terrible grammar and all. Could be your unique writing style and all.” Joel teased and you shoved him lightly.

The tension between the both of you became non-existent soon enough.

Tommy was right, maybe airing some of your problems out instead of bottling them would make life much easier. Advice he had given you in all his years as your best friend, having long learned how to maneuver past those walls you had put up.

#joel miller tlou #joel miller #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller x f!reader #joel miller x reader #tlou #pedro pascal x reader #tlou x reader #joel tlou #the last of us #joel the last of us #joel #joel miller angst

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theforgottenmcrmy · 1 year

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Vipers~ Part 3/3 (Ser Harwin Strong x Reader)

᯽ Please note that this is an overall part 15 of the series “Growing Strong”. The masterlist for the series, and vipers parts 1 and 2, can be found on the pinned post on my profile. Tumblr is being mean and not letting me link it here. :( ᯽

Pairing: Ser Harwin Strong x Tyrell! Female Reader

Warnings: GOT typical sexism, canon divergence, mentions of death of previous characters, GOT typical stigmatized bastardy, hypocrisy, Larys Strong is a warning in and of himself, GOT typical violent acts and blood, self-defense killing

Summary: If this was the end, at least you were being treated to a lovely view.

A/N: PLEASE read the warnings, this chapter gets a bit heavy, folks. Thank you so much for bearing with me. This chapter is a hefty one, but there’s a lot that goes down, so I hope you don’t mind too much. As always, thank you so much for reading and for your support.🖤🖤🖤

PS, snow prevented me from going to work today, so instead, I wrote a little winterish fluffy one shot with Harwin and Ms. Tyrell that I’m going to post on 12/25. Until then, I hope you have happy holidays (if you celebrate), and if not, I just hope you have a nice couple of next few days!🖤

Ser Vaemond’s lifeless eyes haunted you every time you closed your own.

The troubling image stayed with you throughout the day and night. You could not bring yourself to eat; nothing was remotely appealing. When you tried to sleep, all you could see was the flash of Dark Sister catching the sun and silver braided locks, rolling and rolling.

This, this is what Harwin tried desperately to warn you of. There was no way Harwin could have foreseen Vaemond Velaryon losing his head right before your eyes, but he knew Daemon. Harwin had come to know a great deal about him while the Rogue Prince served as the Commander of the City Watch, and Harwin was under his command. Prince Daemon was impulsive and violent, and it was no surprise that such traits had a tendency to bring out unspeakable acts from a person. Harwin alluded to but had ultimately spared you many of the details regarding the Rogue Prince’s various misdeeds, many of which he had witnessed first hand all those years ago.

Part of you wished Harwin had not withheld the information. You just might have listened to him when he pleaded for you to not go to the Red Keep alone.

Even the next day, when you found yourself surrounded by Princess Rhaenyra and the youngest of her children in her chambers, as you had already several times during your short stay, you could not take the same comfort from it. It only made the yearning to be reunited with Harwin and your own family that much stronger.

At least you would not have to wait too long.

“... Lady Y/N?”

You blinked, realizing Prince Joffrey was staring up at you inquisitively. “Forgive me, My Prince. Where were we?”

The young prince hesitated for a moment, but eventually resumed his reading. Prince Joffrey had recently begun his tutelage under the maesters in Dragonstone, and was eager for any opportunity to demonstrate his reading and discuss other topics he was learning about with anyone who would pay him mind. You found Prince Joffrey’s enthusiasm as he recounted House Targaryen’s origins in Old Valeryia endearing, but it wasn’t enough to entirely lift your spirits.

Princess Rhaenyra noticed this as well. She exchanged a silent word with her husband, who rose to his feet from his chair near the fireplace. With Prince Viserys occupying one of his arms, Prince Daemon offered his free hand to Prince Joffrey.

“Come, Joffrey. Perhaps your sisters would like to hear the tale next?”

Prince Joffrey nodded obediently, closed his book, and took the hand his stepfather offered him. As Prince Daemon and the younger princes made to leave, Princess Rhaenyra handed Prince Aegon over to his nursemaid, who followed suit. In just a few moments, her chambers were completely empty.

Save the two of you.

The door clicked shut.

“Y/N.”

Though you were reluctant to do so, you forced yourself to meet her concerned look.

“Come sit with me?”

You crossed the room slowly and lowered yourself onto the sofa beside her, but sat very lightly.

“You have been distracted all day,” Princess Rhaenyra observed. “You may have tried to disguise it, but I do not think you have changed so much in the past seven years that I would not be able to tell something is amiss. I know you, and I can tell that something troubles you. What is on your mind?”

“Do you regret it?”

Princess Rhaenyra was taken aback. “Regret what, my friend?”

“Regret it?” you implored. “Do you regret that the actions you’ve taken led to Ser Vaemond’s death? Because although those deeds were not mine, I have steadfastly supported you all these years. And I do not feel beyond reproach for what happened to him.”

Ser Vaemond may have acted unsavory and publicly shamed Princess Rhaenyra and her children, but his anger was rooted from truth, not treason. His actions may have been misguided, but the fuel that drove him to act was based in reality, not fiction.

And he had lost his head for it.

Princess Rhaenyra looked at you calculatingly. Thankfully, she did not look offended by your questions, only curious, as if trying to determine some deeper meaning behind them.

“If you are asking me if I feel guilty about Ser Vaemond’s death, of course I do,” she avowed. “For though it was not I that held the sword, my actions placed him in the path of husband’s blade. I can and will acknowledge that.”

“... But?”

“If you are asking if I regret my companionship with Ser Royce, my answer is no.”

You let out the breath you weren’t aware you’d been holding.

Princess Rhaenyra continued on, and as she did, you clung on to every one of her words.

“I cannot regret it, for I had no other choice. That was my task, as my father’s heir- to strengthen my claim, and ensure my succession. Besides what these vipers whisper about it, I truly loved my husband. But Laenor could not give me what I needed. I needed heirs.”

“And so you got them.”

“And so I did.”

You had finally begun to understand the deeper motivations behind Princess Rhaenyra’s dangerous affair with the late son of the Lord of Storm’s End. Yes, perhaps passion had played a part in it. Princess Rhaenyra was a passionate woman. But she spoke of the matter with great conviction, and there was no doubting that Princess Rhaenyra viewed the affair of securing her three eldest heirs with Ser Royce to be just as much duty as it might have been for pleasure.

She had married Ser Laenor for duty, but her hopes for the union had fallen to the wayside. Perhaps that was why she indulged herself to marry the true and long withstanding object of her desire after his passing.

Princess Rhaenyra defended, “Ser Vaemond’s death was unfortunate, but avoidable. I will bear harsh criticisms from those who falsely deem themselves to be my superiors, as I have had to for years. But Ser Vaemond insulted my children and threatened their very futures. Having had a parent who, for all their good intentions, could not or chose not to defend me as often as I would have liked, I promised myself long ago that I would be different to my own. Ser Vaemond was destined to meet this end, for as determined as he was to usurp my son’s inheritance, I am just as determined to staunchly defend it. I would do anything to protect my children.”

Queen Alicent’s own words from your conversation the week prior echoed in your mind.

…But I would do anything to protect my children and grandchildren…

A queen, a princess, and a lady. All three of you had only ever wanted to protect your own. But the lengths at which you would go to secure their safety, and the ulterior motives of those around you, doomed you all to be constantly be at odds.

“If I had to do it all again, knowing what I know now, I still would,” Princess Rhaenyra mused after a comfortable silence. “Although, there is one regret I still have- and one thing I would change.”

“And what is that, Your Grace?”

“The very moment someone dared to breathe a foul word about your husband, I should have had my father cut out their tongue at once.”

“You would run out of daggers before you ran out of tongues, Your Grace.”

“Mayhaps. But if there was anything that would have spared you and Harwin from being associated with the consequences of my actions, it would have been done.”

She had said something very similar to you years ago. Just as you had not then, you did not doubt the sincerity of Princess Rhaenyra’s words now, only whether she would be in a position to make good on her promise. Years of vicious rumors attempting to taint the image of you and your husband did not simply erase themselves from people’s minds. Truthfully, what could Princess Rhaenyra do to repay you for all you and your family had endured the years you spent by her side?

Once more, Queen Alicent's ominous words of warning crept over you.

Your loyalty to your husband and Princess Rhaenyra is admirable… I can only hope that your former mistress will never use it against you.

Princess Rhaenyra reached out and took your hands in her own, distracting you from your less than pleasant thoughts. “I appreciate you coming here to show me your support. Though the means were not desirable, I cannot find much fault with how it ended.”

Prince Lucerys had been reconfirmed as Lord Corlys’s heir to Driftmark. Prince Daemon had bought them all more time to strengthen their claims.

“But we both know the capital is not the same one that we once knew. And for now, I feel we are both better served taking our leave of it. After we dine with the King this evening, my family will return to Dragonstone. I may be a princess, but as your friend, I advise you to depart as well.”

“I sent a raven to Harwin last night,” you informed her. The thought of seeing your husband and children in just a few short days brought a faint smile to your lips. After attending a family dinner of your own that evening, you and the escort were due to leave on the morrow to head to Duskendale. And, for many reasons, you were counting the passing hours.

“Let us hope that the next time we meet, we shall both be in better spirits.”

A wonderful thought. And hopefully, an attainable one. The state of things was already quite bleak. You did not believe it possible for any dark turns to linger on the road ahead.

Not yet, at least.

Larys could tell you were tired, though not particularly nervous as you entered into his chambers later that evening. That was perfectly suitable- the more relaxed you were, the more likely your tongue would loosen as well.

And the more fervently Larys could reassure his Queen that you were not knowledgeable of his connection to the fire at Harrenhal, the better.

You had taken care to change into a gown different from the one he’d spotted you wearing in the gardens earlier that afternoon. The gown you wore now was more suitable evening attire, and was remarkably flattering on you. Every now and then, the small glimmer from the fire and nearby candles caught your eyes in a twinkle.

Larys supposed, in the right light and angle, he could see what his elder brother saw in you. But there was another beauty from the Reach who had long since caught Larys’s eye, one that was much more preferred.

After exchanging small pleasantries, Larys offered to pour you a cup of wine. To his delight, you accepted unwittingly. But when it came to the main course, you completely paled at the sight of the cooked venison.

“Forgive me,” you muttered, politely raising a hand to decline his offer to cut you off a piece. “I have not had much of an appetite as of late. The events of yesterday have left me feeling rather queasy.”

To each their own. Larys cut off a healthy serving and skillfully placed it onto his own plate. “Ah, yes. A gruesome scene, was it not?”

“You do not seem particularly surprised. Am I to believe sudden and unannounced beheadings happen often at the foot of the Iron Throne, Good Brother?”

Larys mentalled chided himself. Reign it in. “No, they do not. But, in addition to the Master of Whisperers, I was also most recently appointed to the position of the Lord Confessor, My Lady.”

“My apologies- it briefly slipped my mind that you've served the realm as a confessor for quite some time.”

You were not the first to have forgotten about Larys. But perhaps you would be one of the last. “Yes, My Lady. I’ve been a confessor since before you even came to Court.”

“Then it is only natural for you to have seen some… things, I expect?”

This was all hardly appropriate dinner conversation, but if the discussion kept you talking, Larys could live with it. “I will concede that I have seen men in rather… unfortunate, circumstances.”

You said nothing, but instead grabbed a handful of grapes. Larys doubted you’d work up the nerve to even eat them.

“But enough talk about all of that,” he redirected, giving you the finest smile he possessed. “How are the children?”

At the mere mention of your and Harwin’s spawn, your face lit up.

For the next several minutes, Larys listened to you prattle on about his nephews and niece.

… Derrick favors Harwin greatly in looks, but luckily, his mind is like that of your father’s… A brawny boy with an intellect. Perhaps the lad was lucky to inherit more brains than his father, if he was still burdened with Harwin’s looks. And yes, Larys could concede that his father, Lord Lyonel Strong, had been an intelligent man. But he had lacked the “wisdom” to see the wolf in sheep’s clothing among his own kin, hadn’t he?

… Selwin favors my own brother so greatly, some days I feel as though I have seen a ghost. But he’s kind to everyone, unless he is provoked… A boy who had inherited Harwin’s notoriously quick to ignite temper. That was most unfortunate. And though the boy looked like your late brother, Larys couldn’t help but wonder if he was as meddling as Lord Derron had been. Look at what your brother’s curiosity had cost him, after all.

Was this really who Queen Alicent was worried about becoming privy to his connection to the fire at Harrenhal? A mother who, like many others, placed far too much importance in her own children? Larys was tempted to believe he could personally set Harrenhal ablaze before your very eyes, but if your own children were nearby, you’d be far too distracted to pay him any mind.

Queen Alicent had given you far too much credit.

“... And then there’s Luciya. She doesn’t seem to favor any one side of the family in particular. But she’s very sweet. I would love for her to finally meet her uncle, Good Brother. Perhaps you might be willing to ride out and meet us on our way back through? I am sure you would be just as taken with her as we are.”

Larys had never had any inclination to be nurturing, and he had never felt anything but complete apathy for Derrik and Selwin, let alone for any children at all. He doubted your statement very much. It was only after reminding himself that the role he was playing was that of a caring Good Brother and uncle did he force himself to smile.

“Perhaps I shall. Pray tell, where are you going next?”

“Since you already knew of my intent to visit King’s Landing without either Hariwn or myself informing you of it, I assumed you knew the extent of all our travel plans.”

Larys smiled again. But this time, it felt even more strained. “I know a great deal of what goes on in the realm, Good Sister. But not even I am omnipotent.”

You laughed. “I only jest with you, Lord Larys. We left the Reach to visit with Princess Rhaenyra and her family in Dragonstone.”

This caught Larys by surprise. “Dragonstone? … After everything?”

“Why should we not? We were extended an invitation. Forgive me, Good Brother, but I did not believe my closeness with Princess Rhaenyra was a secret.”

“Neither was my brother’s.”

Larys knew the slip was a possibly grave one when you abruptly dropped the grape you had been contemplating eating back onto your plate. Your own smile fell, and you looked at Larys across the table with a worryingly blank expression.

“Larys… You don’t truly believe that your brother is the sire of the eldest princes, do you?”

Larys knew how troubled their oafish father was by the possibility. It was made apparent to him that Lord Lyonel believed that intimacy existed between Harwin and Princess Rhaenyra. But what interested him far more was how vehemently you insisted the opposite. Were you truly that desperate to refuse to acknowledge what many others already had about your husband? … Or was there some other truth that you knew that gave you cause not to abandon your position on the matter?

“It is my turn to apologize, My Lady. ‘Twas a poor taste of comment. Of course, I would hope that Harwin is not the father of the Princess’s eldest sons. Not only would that be an irreparable political scandal, but that would taint the very image I have of him.”

The tension in your jaw slackened, but you remained silent, urging Larys to continue.

“I know how devoted my brother is to you, Good Sister, and I find it hard to believe such foul rumors about the princes’ parentage can be given any true merit. However, the question does remain of why the princes take so little after Ser Laenor… A genuine curiosity, isn’t it?”

Unfortunately for Larys, you did not take the bait. “‘Tis no curiosity at all, My Lord. The princes clearly take after their grandmother’s Baratheon heritage.”

Pft. Larys had to take a drink from his goblet to stifle the laugh that threatened his already delicate facade. “But of course, Good Sister. If only others at Court saw it as plainly as you did, yesterday's festivities might have been avoidable after all.”

You took a sip from your own goblet, still regarding him carefully.

“Mayhaps we can turn to some lighter conversation?” Larys proposed, hoping to turn the tide. “How is my brother?”

Quite similar to when Larys had mentioned your children, your expression brightened at once. “Well, to begin, he wishes you would write to him more often, My Lord.”

You were about as subtle as a dragon, Larys decided.

“But beyond that, Harwin is well. Lord Dannis is an excellent steward, and Harwin is able to carry out most of his duties as Lord of Harrenhal without having to leave the Reach.”

“Has he no desire to return to our family’s home?”

“Do you?”

Larys had no form of emotional attachment to the decrepit excuse of a keep that was Harrenal. But there were very, very few things he deemed worthwhile to complicate with emotions. And Harwin was little else than an emotionally driven man. “He is the Lord of Harrenhal, My Lady. Surely my brother does not intend to keep himself from returning to its halls forever?”

“I am certain Harwin will return to Harrenhal at some point or another, Good Brother… But that will only be when he is ready to do so. If he does not wish to return to your family’s home, I will not be the one that forces him to.”

Perhaps you had even less conviction than his brother, if that were even possible.

“... The things we saw when we were last there were awful, My Lord. None of my family wishes to tempt the ill memories of that night to return to our minds.”

You had opened the door. Larys would capitalize on it.

The time had finally come for him to delve into the details and discover what all was learned from the fire at Harrenhal, and to determine whether you and Harwin would be a threat to everything Larys had strove to accomplish in the name of his beloved Queen.

Perhaps you knew little to nothing. Perhaps you knew more than you’d let on so far. Regardless, your fate would be sealed.

Larys had already committed all sorts of atrocities in the name of Queen Alicent. Should it be deemed necessary, what was one more?

“I understand my brother was quite disturbed after the fire.”

You raised an eyebrow at Larys’s suggestion. “Would you not be? Harwin fought through the flames to try and save your father, only to fail.” You nearly shuddered to think what Harwin had overheard, had he reached Lord Lyonel’s chambers before the man had passed.

“He wrote to me often, you know.”

“Harwin believed that if there was anyone who could discover a connection between the fire and someone who roamed these halls, it would be you, Lord Larys.”

“Alas, my efforts were fruitless,” Larys admitted gloomily. “... But, should you feel so inclined, I was wondering if you might answer some questions I have?”

You frowned slightly. “Certainly Harwin already provided you with all the information you could have possibly needed to perform your due diligence?”

“Aye, he did. But, for my own sake, and for my own thirst for justice in my father’s name, would you humor me?”

Larys’s sudden turn of questioning was rather suspicious. From what you understood, Harwin’s letters pleading with Larys to investigate the fire and any potential connections to those within the Red Keep had gone relatively ignored. Larys had been all too quick to deem the affair an accident, and cited the recent construction projects within Harrenhal as possible sources of origin. It begged the question of why your Good Brother was showing any sort of interest in the fire now.

But who were you to deny his inquiries?

“If I have the answers you seek, consider them yours.”

“Harwin mentioned Lord Dannis showed you to a suspicious man the morning after the fire,” Larys recalled before taking another bite of venison.

“Yes.” You grimaced at the memory. “‘Twas no use in questioning him- he was short of a tongue, I’m afraid.”

Larys’s neutral expression was still, and unchanging. “Did he bear any sort of emblem, or other identifying mark?”

“... Like what, My Lord?”

“Well, from my own experience dealing with similar filth, those who devise monstrous deeds such as a plot to kill the Hand of the King and his heirs usually tend to want to leave their own mark upon it. Perhaps it is a bit foolish, but some of the most twisted deviants care little for whether they are likely to be caught, or they simply believe they will not be. If there was any sort of emblem, sigil, or any other kind of heraldry, even something small and insignificant, that this strange, tongue-less man wore or bore, it could be an indication of whom he served.”

You did not dare to breathe. “I thought you believed the fire at Harrenhal to be an accident, My Lord. Have you reconsidered your stance?”

“Regrettably, I have not. I still full-heartedly believe the tragedy was just that- a tragedy. Unavoidable, but the fault of no one. Still, I consider myself to be a particularly thorough man, and I like to consider all possibilities, regardless of how improbable they may seem.”

“... It would be most convenient if the man had had something to indicate his master, or mistress, as you have described. Unfortunately, he did not.”

That had been your agreement.

Outside of you, Harwin, and Lord Dannis, not a single soul from Harrenhal to King’s Landing to the Reach knew of the firefly pin that had been found on the suspicious man taken captive the night of the fire. And it would remain that way. There was some hope, however small it was, that if such an individual who used that sigil would be so bold as to carry out another plot against you, you would be able to link the two events together, and hopefully, the orchestrator would be revealed.

Though Larys was Harwin’s family, and most likely could be trusted, the less who knew about the firefly pin, the better.

Larys looked thoroughly surprised by your answer. “Truly? … None at all?”

“None at all.” You took another drink of wine from your goblet.

Larys mimicked your action. “How most peculiar… Well, perhaps this suspicious man was not so suspicious, after all. Or at least, did not have a hand in the tragedy. Since he bore no indication of whom he may or may not have been serving, he could have merely been stealing food from the kitchens, for all we know.”

You sincerely doubted that, but did not disagree with your Good Brother’s helpful and convenient proposal.

…

For the rest of the dinner, Larys seemed to be in a notably pleasant mood. You suspected, despite what Larys may have told Harwin, he might have had his own doubts about the origins of the fire at Harrenhal.

You were happy you could put your Good Brother at ease, even if your words were not entirely honest. Harwin was already burdened with the truth that someone had likely set out to kill his father, himself, and your entire family. It was senseless to burden Larys with the information as well, especially since you had no viable suspect to show for it.

The rest of the dinner was spent in frivolous but calm conversation. It was a bit boring for your taste, but you would happily take an evening without excitement after witnessing the horror that was Ser Vaemond Velaryon’s beheading the prior afternoon.

As Larys went to pour you another cup of wine, you placed your hand over the top of your goblet to stop him. “I really should not. If I drink too much more, I fear I will not be able to stay atop of my horse on the morrow.”

Larys did not laugh at your joke. Instead, he looked intrigued. “You are leaving so soon?”

You nodded. “I wrote to Harwin last night. With any luck, my escort and I will make it to Duskendale in just a few days.”

“How most wise,” your Good Brother noted, pouring another cup of whine for himself. “With all sorts of brigands and bandits preying upon travelers these days, it was a good idea to inform my brother of when you expect you.”

The thoughts of being ambushed along the way left you feeling worried. “Has there been a particular problem with miscreants of that nature in the Crownlands, My Lord?”

“No more than the usual, though they always pose a threat, My Lady.” When you said nothing, Larys added, “But I have seen your guards, particularly Ser Alren. I would venture you are in safe hands, especially if my brother deemed them capable of keeping you so.”

You smiled, thankful for his reassurance. Then, you exhaled. “This was a lovely dinner, Good Brother. It was nice to see you after all these years. Perhaps you might extend your brother the same courtesy in the near future?”

Larys smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. “If the gods are kind, perhaps I shall.”

You scooted your chair back from the table. Larys made to stand as well, but you waved him off. As you moved your feet beneath you to rise from your seat, one of them inadvertently nudged Larys’s cane, which he had propped up against his side of the table. The cane tipped over and hit the floor, rolling a few feet away before coming to a slow stop.

You cursed under your breath. “My apologies, My Lord. Perhaps I drank a bit too much wine after all.”

Larys tried to rise once again. “Do not trouble yourself over it. I shall retrieve it.”

“No, no,” you insisted quickly, already walking over to where the cane had landed. “‘Tis no trouble at all.” You bent down and swiped the cane up into your free hand. As you did, you noticed two things.

The first was the smoothness of the finished wood beneath your fingers, which was nothing out of the ordinary.

The second was the rather peculiar jewel and metalwork ingrained in the pommel of the cane. You only glanced at it at first, but then it suddenly captured your complete focus. The gold metalwork was fashioned into a simple but clearly discernible depiction of an eerily familiar insect. Affixed to the bottom of the bug was a just as familiar yellow gem.

Once you realized you had seen this same design not once, but twice before, you shocked yourself when you were able to muffle your gasp.

First, you had seen it the very day you left King’s Landing, almost seven years ago. It had caught the rising sun in the courtyard as your carriage departed.

Second, you had seen it pinned to the cloak of the man who lingered suspiciously on the grounds the night of the fire at Harrenhal. As the rising sun bathed the simmering and smoking remains of the keep, it had also caught the yellow gem.

And third, illuminated by the fireplace before you, it was right here and now, before your own eyes. In your very own hands.

Ingrained in the pommel of your Good Brother’s cane.

A firefly.

“My Lady, are you alright?”

You flinched at Larys’s question, but went with the movement rather than against it. Pushing yourself forward, you swallowed thickly, thankful your head was turned away from his direction, if only for a moment. You let out a silent breath, and turned back to face him. Keeping your voice steady and even, you supplied simply, “Yes… ‘Twas only inspecting it for damage, My Lord.”

You took slow steps back to the table and handed the cane back over to Larys, who took it from you with an appreciative smile.

“I wouldn’t concern yourself with damaging it, Good Sister,” he dismissed politely. “It’s a sturdy thing, just like me.”

You forced yourself to offer him a single laugh in response.

Before Larys could say anything further, you filled the brief silence with words of your own. “Forgive me, Lord Larys, but I am suddenly feeling ill. Since we are due to leave early tomorrow morning, would you be too offended if I retired?”

Larys looked a bit confused, but not suspicious. Not yet. After a moment, he shook his head. “Of course not, My Lady. Rest well.”

With one last and extremely strained smile, you headed over towards the chamber doors.

Behind you, Larys called, “And safe travels, Good Sister.”

…

……

………

……

…

It had been a long day in the Red Keep.

But for Lord Larys Strong, Master of Whisperers, the day had only just begun.

“Let go of me!... This isn’t right!”

Lord Caswell’s cries as he struggled against the guards were slowly silenced the further away he was dragged.

“You did well, Lord Larys.”

Larys looked over at Lord Otto Hightower carefully. He sought no praise from the man before him. The only one Larys ever allowed himself to desire such a futile thing from the man’s daughter. But it was of little consequence to Larys for him placate the Lord Hand’s ego by feigning humbleness and appreciation.

“Only my duty, my Lord Hand.”

Larys was content to leave on that note. Queen Alicent must have been worried sick, being forced to wait for hours until someone brought word of the continuing search for Prince Aegon. Now that Larys had rooted out all the possible turncoats locked within the Red Keep and handed them over to be properly dealt with, he felt he would be of better use offering himself to be at Queen Alicent’s disposal, should she need him at all.

For anything.

“You’ve spent many hours with the Queen as of late.”

There was an unspoken question in the Lord Hand’s seemingly innocent statement.

Larys paused. He tapped the bottom of his cane thoughtfully. Out of all the many interesting developments that had taken place in the Red Keep that morning, the one before him now seemed to be the most intriguing of them all. Lord Otto Hightower had never publicly insulted him, but Larys had suspected him guilty of whispering foul things about him in his Queen’s ear when he was not present. The fool. Did her father not know how indebted Queen Alicent was to her most dedicated servant? The only reason Lord Otto was before him and not his own father, Lord Lyonel, was by Larys’s designs. And now, the leach wanted something from him?

Perhaps Larys ought to make him pay for his hubris. No telling what might come of it, but since he had no desire to truly please the Lord Hand, it could only result in things Larys could use for his own advantageous purposes.

“There’s no reason those hours could not, in the end, benefit you.”

The way Lord Otto looked at him then, in the very moment he believed Larys was willing to negotiate some sort of arrangement, Larys was convinced he had chosen the wrong path in life. Had he not been born with his physical deformity, nor the second son of a lord, he would have made a killing as an actor. He was certain of it. How many people could say that they out-slithered the viper?

“I am relieved to hear that you are dedicated to the realm as a whole, Lord Larys, and not just to my daughter.”

“One would be foolish to bite the hand that feeds it, no?”

“Quite,” Lord Otto agreed with a smug smile. “... There is another matter that I wished to discuss with you, and since I can see you are perfectly capable of seeing the bigger picture in all of this mess, I hope you will not misunderstand the reason for which I make my request.”

“Name it, Lord Hand.”

“Lady Y/N Tyrell.”

Larys regarded Lord Otto with great caution, suddenly feeling the incredibly strong urge to tread lightly. “My Good Sister? … She left the Red Keep a few days ago now, Lord Hand. Her party rides for Duskendale as we speak.”

Did Larys have some regrets about simply letting you leave? Of course. But what choice did he have? You had proven you posed no threat to him, that you knew nothing of his involvement in the fire at Harrenhal. And beyond that, you had already written to Harwin, who knew exactly when to expect your arrival. Delaying that would have only roused unnecessary suspicion from his brother.

“Yes, she did,” Lord Otto conceded. “… But she must never reach her destination.”

Larys did not bother to hide his surprise. His initial inclination was to use this fragile but blossoming alliance with Lord Otto to further Queen Alicent’s cause, by providing her with the hidden knowledge of her father’s actions. But if Larys could benefit personally by aligning his own desires with that of the Lord Hand’s…

“You are no fool, Lord Larys. Two of the most powerful houses in the Reach are the Hightowers and the Tyrells. One house can be counted on to support the one, true king. The other can not. Should this come to war, the Reach will be divided. If Lady Y/N reaches Duskendale, she and your brother will set sail for Dragonstone shortly after, and submit themselves to the usurper's ranks. I fear your brother may already be a lost cause, but there is no reason why Princess Rhaenyra should have the Wardeness of the South and Lord of Harrenhal in her pocket.”

Larys knew of the affluent resources at his Good Sister’s disposal. Gold. Lots of it. Men. Lots of those, too. The Lord Hand had a point- what a pity it would be if such a valuable asset should fall into the wrong hands. “She must not reach her destination then, My Lord Hand.”

Lord Otto looked shocked by Larys’s swift decision. “Lady Y/N is your Good Sister, Lord Larys. Your brother’s wife.”

“Traitors to the crown are no blood of mine.”

Lord Otto’s look of shock shifted into one of understanding, appreciation, even. “I am impressed; you truly are a man of reason, Lord Larys… Go, then. Ensure Lady Y/N befalls some troubles on the road. Whatever men you need to fulfill this task, consider them yours.”

“I have men under my employ already, Lord Hand, but you humble me with your offer.”

“Use whoever you wish, then. Just see to it that it gets done.”

Larys nodded his head respectfully. As he turned to leave once again, the gears already began to churn in his mind. The party is already a few days ahead, so some fast riders would be most prudent... A letter to help frame the altercation as an accident.... and perhaps another as a safeguard-

“And, Lord Larys?”

Larys looked over his shoulder. “Yes?”

“Do take care that this matter is taken care of quickly and cleanly. No mistakes can be afforded.”

“Of course, Lord Hand.”

Larys had already disposed of another golden rose once before. But by the time Lord Derron had caught on to his doings, it was far too late- the letter of warning Lord Derron addressed to his dear younger sister never made it into your hands. Instead, it was locked away in Larys’s chambers, where it would remain.

It had been a close call, but the disposal of this second golden rose would not be. Larys would make certain of that.

Lord Otto added one last remark. “And I think we can both understand that the Queen need not be burdened with this unpleasant business.”

For once, Larys was inclined to agree with the Lord Hand. Queen Alicent had shown him an unbecoming weakness she still harbored within herself; it was foolish to think your allegiance from Princess Rhaenyra could ever be swayed.

But Larys was not weak, he was a Strong. And he would do what needed to be done.

…

……

……….

……

…

The dagger at the side of your waist felt awfully heavy.

With each step your horse took, the small metal blade felt as though it was pulling you further and further down to the muddy ground below. If it got to be heavy enough, you might just allow yourself to fall with it.

The party was making terrible time. What should have only been a few days of traveling had grown into upwards of a week. Heavy rains in the area made the main road sloppy, and slowed the horses down greatly. Someone had proposed taking less-traveled paths off the main road, since the cover of trees would have redirected some of the falling rains from the grounds below the branches. But that was quickly set aside out of the concern of safety.

If Harwin hadn’t already grown worried about the extended traveling time, he certainly would have by now.

Harwin.

Gods, the one person you wanted to see more than anyone else, and yet, the very thought of being reunited with Harwin completely terrified you. How in the Seven Hells were you to explain not only that you had discovered who had plotted the fire at Harrenhal, but that it was none other than his beloved brother?

You had little doubt that Harwin would have extreme difficulty believing you at first… if at all. There could not be enough importance placed on determining the best phrasing and manner by which you revealed the discovery to him. But for the life of you, despite hours you spent on the road, you could not bring yourself to think of the matter any more than what your racing thoughts forced you to.

“We should stop up here at the turn, My Lady.”

You looked over at Ser Alren, who was riding his own horse beside yours. A few men in front and a few more bringing up the rear comprised all of the traveling party.

“Again?” You bit back the frustrated sigh that threatened to spill past your lips. “We are losing daylight, and at this pace, we’ve at least another two hours until the next inn.”

At any moment, realization could strike Larys. Your Good Brother would realize how oddly you had behaved at the end of your shared dinner, would put the pieces together, and would most likely act. But you had chosen not to share your shocking revelation with Ser Alren or the rest of the escort, as Harwin was the one who deserved to hear the truth from you first. You did not mean to come across short, but you had to continue impressing upon the party how urgently you desired to pick up the pace.

“It is to offer themselves relief, My Lady.”

You internally cursed. As if you could not afford your protectors that small decency. “Very well. But let’s be quick about it.”

The party directed their horses off to the side of the road, though you had not passed or even seen any other travelers for several hours. As most of the men dismounted and disappeared from view into the treeline, you, Ser Alren, and two others who had chosen to stay behind remained.

It was silent for several long moments, with the flapping of the Tyrell banners in the wind the only sound that could be heard.

When you suddenly dismounted, Ser Alren gave you a questioning look. You told him, “I shall be but a moment.”

Ser Alren looked as though he wanted to protest, but he did not. “Please, My Lady- make haste.” To the other two men who had remained behind, he directed, “Go and see what is keeping the others, would you?”

You crossed the road and disappeared into the opposite treeline that the rest of the party had gone into. After a short walk under the trees, you found a stream. Thankfully, the water looked decently clear. Even if your mind would not allow you to be entirely at ease, perhaps a freshening up would allow you to feel a little bit better. You scrubbed at your hands, and then your face. Though you still felt tired, largely in part to your inability to sleep much at all over the past few days, the cold water did wonders to help lift some of the grogginess.

When you were satisfied that you felt as well as you were likely to become, you headed back to the road. The closer you drew, the louder the horses became. They were becoming restless.

When they came into view, you confirmed as much. The horses were still tied to the trees that their riders had fixed them too, but they pulled against the restricted reins, as if trying to break free. But what was even more alarming was what you did not see.

“Ser Alren?”

When Ser Alren stepped around one of the horses and into your line of sight, you let out a sigh of relief. “Forgive me, My Lady. It looks as though something has spooked the horses-”

You could barely string your words together fast enough as you yelped, “Behind you!”

A cloaked figure caught Ser Alren off guard. Your warning had given your companion enough notice for him to step out of the way of his assailant’s blade, but not enough time to escape him outright. Ser Alren unsheathed his own sword, and the pair were entangled in a vicious scuffle.

Sounds of further fighting echoed beyond in the otherwise silent woods. You could also hear the thundering of hooves coming from up ahead, and felt the trembling of the ground. There was no telling how many more enemies were descending upon you and the party, but there was no doubt that some were already here.

“Run, My Lady!”

You barely had a moment to process Ser Alren’s command before someone grabbed you from behind.

In addition to showing you how to use the dagger he’d gifted you, Hariwn had also long since taught you some basic maneuvers for self-defense. When you suddenly found yourself in the clutches of an attacker, your instincts jumped to attention.

You kicked your favored leg free from your skirts and brought it down to the ground as hard as you could. When your heel collided with the foot of the assailant who’d grabbed you, a raw vocalization of pain rang in your ears. It was no normal scream, but you paid it no mind as your captor’s hold loosened enough for you to break free.

Your feet worked of their own accord as you sprinted away from the scene and back underneath the trees. Your heart burned as you ran further and further, but you did not dare turn around, lest you find yourself being pursued.

Only when you came upon the stream you’d found did you dare to take a moment. You glanced behind you- there was no one. The cooler air caused your breaths to come out in smoky puffs as you tried to gather your bearings.

You could run. Or rather, keep running. You were armed with a dagger, but not trained nor prepared to duel with men bearing swords. Safety first, those had been Harwin’s words once. Seek safety first, and strategize second. No use in calculating a plan of action when you could still be blindsighted at any moment.

Running it was, then. Should you need to, you could find it in yourself to climb a tree. You hadn’t done anything of the sort since you were a girl, but you’d find a way. You’d much rather await for rescue in a tree than allowing yourself to fall prey to whatever these assailants had in store for you on the ground.

In the distance, the clashing of swords sung.

Move, you told yourself.

You took a step forward, but froze as you saw another cloaked figure in the periphery of your vision. You weren’t sure what had compelled you to do what you did next, whether it was stupidity, fear, or anger, but it was certainly something that would’ve had Harwin in a concerned fit.

Instead of running, you turned, stood tall, and faced the cloaked figure head on.

In the setting sun, you saw a faint glimmer emitting from the front of their cloak. The figure removed their hood at your challenge, revealing the face of a man whom you did not recognize.

“Who are you?” you demanded authoritatively. “Who do you serve?”

The man said nothing.

You surmised, “Do you refuse to speak, or are you simply unable to?”

As if willing to humor you, the man opened his mouth to reveal a tongueless void. You grimaced, thinking of your next move.

But you were spared devising your next course of action when the man across the way was suddenly speared, and a sword pierced through his stomach from behind.

You gasped, and once more, your instinct urged you to run. But you ran straight into the arms of another. And judging by the tight grip you found yourself ensnared in once again, you knew they were not the arms of a rescuer. You kicked and struggled in their grasp, fighting with enough strength that both you and your captor tumbled to the ground.

There was a brief struggle for power, with you getting the upper hand for a moment, and then losing your ground. Your attacker managed to snake an arm around your neck from behind you. When they applied pressure, your senses kicked into a height of which you’d never experienced before.

You used every bit of fight left within you to reach for the dagger at your waist. You’d been wise to not brandish it sooner, or else you likely would have been without it now. You and the assailant attempting to get the best of you rolled on the ground once more. You went with the momentum, hoping it would lure your the man into a false sense of hope that you had given up your struggle.

With your foe behind you, and your hand on the dagger, which was still shielded beneath your cloak, you caught a brief glimpse of the sky. It was painted beautifully by the setting sun. As your thumb brushed the rose on the dagger’s pommel, you faintly thought how much you would have loved to stare at it until it was no more. You longed to watch it fade until the image was replaced by the darkness of night, disrupted only by the cold lights of the stars. But with every passing moment, the breath in your lungs was escaping you.

If this was the end, at least you were being treated to a lovely view.

With a strength you did not know you possessed, you took the dagger in both of your hands, and with all the force you could muster, you drove it down past your side, and into the flesh of the body behind you.

There was no scream. Only a sickening wet sound that was haunting similar to the sound of Ser Vaemond Velaryon’s head being struck from his body.

The pressure of the arm around your neck loosened, before eventually ceasing altogether. You gasped for air, ignoring the burning within you.

Before you could even think, another pair of hands reached for you, and you flinched away. Your dagger was beyond your reach now, presumably still impaled in the stomach of your previous assailant. But you’d come this far, you’d be damned to go down without swinging. Screwing your eyes shut, you flung your fists about until you made contact with something solid. Metal.

Armor.

But what you heard next was not silence, nor a peculiarly pained noise, but a comfortingly familiar voice instead.

“Stop! Stop, it’s me!”

Your eyes shot open, the face above you revealing itself to be none other than the one who mattered to you most.

“Harwin.”

Harwin, donning his armor, was panting heavily, with half his hair pulled up and away from his face. He scanned the area briefly before his comforting hazel eyes returned to you. The love, and relief, that you saw within them was overwhelming. But your husband did not look at you for long, as his focus quickly fell to your side.

“Are you hurt?”

Your eyes followed his own, where you saw angry splotches of red along the waist of your gown. You didn’t trust your own voice yet, but as you didn’t feel anything other than the wild beating of your heart and the faint burning in your chest, you shook your head.

You could tell by the look in his eyes that Harwin wasn’t quite convinced as to whether he could believe you. But when abruptly he pulled you into his arms, you knew it did not matter.

The two of you, still kneeling on the forest floor, gripped one another more tightly than you ever had before as the adrenaline began to die off.

“How are you here?” you asked, your voice muffled by Harwin’s chest.

He placed a comforting hand on the back of your head, silently conveying that he had no intention of letting you go anywhere just yet. Not that you wanted to. “When you did not arrive a few days ago, as you expected to, I was worried. But when Lord Darklyn received troubling news from King’s Landing, I knew I had to ride out and find you at once. We’ve been riding for a day straight. By the looks of it, we arrived not a moment too soon.”

You buried your face in the front of Harwin’s breastplate, not daring to look anywhere else. You spared the last thought you could for the man lying only a few paces away. “I’ve killed him, haven’t I?”

Harwin’s arms around you tightened. Unlike before, the restriction meant safety, not danger. It meant comfort. “No.” He pressed a chaste but undoubtedly loving kiss to your hairline. “You defended yourself, My Love.”

You killed a man.

But that could be dwelled upon later. “What was the troubling news Lord Darklyn received from the capital? … Is Princess Rhaenyra well?”

Harwin pulled back slowly, reluctantly removing his arms from around you. He cupped both sides of your face in his hands, capturing your full and complete attention. Harwin looked uncertain; his expression was one of great conflict, and he even looked a bit pained.

“The King is dead.”

“My Lord, My Lady!”

Ser Alren, accompanied by most of your men and others who must have rode out with Harwin, drew near. As they approached, Harwin stood, and helped you to your own two feet.

“Are you alright?” Ser Alren asked. The blatant concern on his face was touching.

“We will be,” Harwin answered, sounding more confident than you suspected he truly felt at that moment. “How many-”

“We were outnumbered, My Lord… and we lost two of our own because of it. But we outmatched them in skill. Rest assured that these mute heathens paid for the lives of two good and honorable men with each and every one of their own. May the Father judge them justly, and the Stranger guide them.”

Two of your own men, who had protected you and your family, gone. You didn’t bother to ask Ser Alren who they might have been at that moment- you would find out soon enough, when you would have to write to their kin and inform them of the loss.

“We shall pay them their more than earned respects, once it is safe to do so,” Harwin avowed somberly. “... Did you say these brigands were mute?”

“Yes, attempting to get any information out of them would have been futile. They have no tongues.”

You and Harwin exchanged a wary look.

“Does this mean anything to you?” Ser Alren deposited something small into Harwin’s open palm. “Appears as though they were all bearing it…” He glanced behind him briefly. “Even these two.”

You stared at the small item in your husband’s hand dumbfoundedly.

“It looks to be a pin of some sort,” Ser Alren speculated. “... That’s a firefly, is it not?”

Harwin went still.

“Harwin,” you said to him in a hushed tone, pulling at his arm closest to you desperately. “We really need to talk-”

But Ser Alren pressed, “My Lord and My Lady, I’m afraid that’s not all we found.”

You and Harwin watched as Ser Alren withdrew two scrolls from his cloak. They were small, as though they had been intended for a raven. As Ser Alren handed them over to the two of you, he explained further, “Found these in one of their cloaks. They share the same seal, but we left them unbroken.”

Though you knew what you would find, your gut sank when you recognized the seal beneath your fingers. You looked up Harwin.

Your husband looked at the firefly pin in one hand, and a scroll with the malvales seal in the other.

When realization finally dawned upon Harwin, your heart broke on his behalf.

A/N: Thank you for reading! 🖤 Feel free to let me know what you think! I'm so excited to get into the last few episodes. and for Harwin to contemplate how he's gonna get his revenge on Larys

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